The Chocolate Girl (French: La Belle Chocolatière, German: Das Schokoladenmädchen) is one of the most prominent pastels of Genevan artist Jean-Étienne Liotard, showing a chocolate-serving maid. The girl carries a tray with a porcelain chocolate cup and a glass of water. Liotard's contemporaries classed The Chocolate Girl as his masterpiece.[1]
18th century replica in the National Museum in Warsaw and a similar girl by Liotard (1754) in La Prima Colazione (The breakfast).
On 3 February 1745 Francesco Algarotti purchased the drawing directly from Liotard in Venice. In an unknown year (between 1747 and 1754?) the picture became part of the collection of August III of Poland. In a letter dated 13 February 1751 to his friend Pierre-Jean Mariette he wrote:
I have bought a pastel picture about three feet high by the celebrated Liotard. It shows a young German chambermaid in profile, carrying a tray with a glass of water and a cup of chocolate. The picture is almost devoid of shadows, with a pale background, the light being furnished by two windows reflected in the glass. It is painted in half-tones with imperceptible graduations of light and with a perfect modelling...and although it is a European picture it could appeal to the Chinese who, as you know, are sworn enemies of shadows. With regard to the perfection of the work, it is a Holbein in pastel.[2]
Since 1855 the picture with the serving maid from Vienna, who might have been a certain Nannerl Baldauf, has hung in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden. Theories concerning the girl's headdress run from a cap cover to an echo of the colorful regional caps.[3] The girl's apron features a small bodice. The cup in which the chocolate is served is a trembleuse, used by people with shaking hands to avoid spilling.
During World War II the Germans transported it to Königstein Fortress.[4] The delicate pastel managed to survive the cold and damp there and was brought back to Dresden after the Germans retreated from advancing Soviet troops. After World War II, the painting was briefly in possession of the Soviet Union.
Around 1900, La Belle Chocolatière served as inspiration for the commercial illustration of the "nurse" that appeared on Droste's cocoa tins. This was most probably a work of the commercial artist Jan (Johannes) Misset. According to Droste, "The illustration indicated the wholesome effect of chocolate milk and became inextricably bound with the name Droste."[6]
Notesedit
^. Richmond.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2007-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
"La Belle Chocolatière: The Story Of the Beautiful Chocolate-Girl" 2018-01-01 at the Wayback Machine
January 01, 1970
chocolate, girl, other, uses, chocolate, girl, disambiguation, french, belle, chocolatière, german, schokoladenmädchen, most, prominent, pastels, genevan, artist, jean, Étienne, liotard, showing, chocolate, serving, maid, girl, carries, tray, with, porcelain, . For other uses see Chocolate Girl disambiguation The Chocolate Girl French La Belle Chocolatiere German Das Schokoladenmadchen is one of the most prominent pastels of Genevan artist Jean Etienne Liotard showing a chocolate serving maid The girl carries a tray with a porcelain chocolate cup and a glass of water Liotard s contemporaries classed The Chocolate Girl as his masterpiece 1 The Chocolate GirlFrench La Belle ChocolatiereArtistJean Etienne LiotardYearcirca 1743 44TypePastel on parchmentDimensions82 5 cm 52 5 cm 32 5 in 20 7 in LocationGemaldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden 18th century replica in the National Museum in Warsaw and a similar girl by Liotard 1754 in La Prima Colazione The breakfast On 3 February 1745 Francesco Algarotti purchased the drawing directly from Liotard in Venice In an unknown year between 1747 and 1754 the picture became part of the collection of August III of Poland In a letter dated 13 February 1751 to his friend Pierre Jean Mariette he wrote I have bought a pastel picture about three feet high by the celebrated Liotard It shows a young German chambermaid in profile carrying a tray with a glass of water and a cup of chocolate The picture is almost devoid of shadows with a pale background the light being furnished by two windows reflected in the glass It is painted in half tones with imperceptible graduations of light and with a perfect modelling and although it is a European picture it could appeal to the Chinese who as you know are sworn enemies of shadows With regard to the perfection of the work it is a Holbein in pastel 2 Since 1855 the picture with the serving maid from Vienna who might have been a certain Nannerl Baldauf has hung in the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden Theories concerning the girl s headdress run from a cap cover to an echo of the colorful regional caps 3 The girl s apron features a small bodice The cup in which the chocolate is served is a trembleuse used by people with shaking hands to avoid spilling During World War II the Germans transported it to Konigstein Fortress 4 The delicate pastel managed to survive the cold and damp there and was brought back to Dresden after the Germans retreated from advancing Soviet troops After World War II the painting was briefly in possession of the Soviet Union In 1862 the American Baker s Chocolate Company obtained the rights to use the pastel 5 Around 1900 La Belle Chocolatiere served as inspiration for the commercial illustration of the nurse that appeared on Droste s cocoa tins This was most probably a work of the commercial artist Jan Johannes Misset According to Droste The illustration indicated the wholesome effect of chocolate milk and became inextricably bound with the name Droste 6 Notes edit Jean Etienne Liotard London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Richmond gov uk Archived from the original on 2007 03 04 Retrieved 2008 03 12 http www pastellists com Articles LIOTARD pdf zoom highlight buste bare URL PDF 18th Century Women s Head Coverings Marquise de Retrieved 2008 03 11 Nataliya Sinelnikova Triumf Shokoladnicy in Russian Retrieved 2008 03 11 The History of Chocolate 1800s Archived from the original on 2012 09 05 Retrieved 2008 03 11 Droste from Confectioner to Chocolate producer Archived February 18 2008 at the Wayback MachineExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Chocolate Girl by Jean Etienne Liotard jefferson library millersville edu permanent dead link Das Wiener Chocolade Maedchen Story of The Chocolate Girl La Belle Chocolatiere The Story Of the Beautiful Chocolate Girl Archived 2018 01 01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Chocolate Girl amp oldid 1217800163, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
