REVIEW | Liotard and the Lavergne Family Breakfast – National Gallery

Jean-Etienne Liotard is one of the most prolific and proficient Swiss artists to have worked in pastel in the 18th century. When done well, this medium allows for very soft, precise modelling that mimics the play of light with extraordinary realism.

To celebrate the National Gallery’s relatively recent acquisition of The Lavergne Family Breakfast (1754) from the estate of the city banker George Pinto, the pastel has been reunited with the oil replica that Liotard made 20 years later. Visitors will enjoy playing spot the difference with both versions side-by-side, including the opportunity to see the exact kind of Japanese Imari-ware cup and saucer depicted by the artist.

Practically unseen in public since the year it was drawn and bought by Viscount Duncannon, later 2nd Earl of Bessborough, for a whopping 200 guineas, the pastel is joined by several other pastel portraits of Liotard’s prestigious circle, showcasing his talent in this medium. The three large female portraits from Chatsworth are so remarkably rich in the depiction of textures in the sitters’ attire, from plush fur to shimmering satin. In fact, it is quite mindblowing to see such sheen replicated in a matte medium like pastel.

An especially special treat is the chance to see Liotard’s only surviving tracing – taken from The Chocolate Girl (1744) – a device which would have assisted in the creation of the family breakfast oil replica. Done in pen and ink, and quite large in size, every traced line takes on the appearance of perforated lines, suggesting a high level of exactitude and care.

Prefacing these fine examples of draughtsmanship is a section on Liotard’s travels, particularly through Constantinople, where he sketched local residents, their dress, and customs. On the opposite wall are a small selection of his prints, the most technically striking being his self-portrait in mezzotint, one of the best works in the show. The print’s surface is full of graphic marks signifying the labour-intensive processes involved in preparing the plate.