George P. A. Healy: Introducing Thomas Couture

"Sitting Pierrot" by Thomas Couture

In the chapters to come of George Healy's autobiography, he will be sharing about his friends and clients: Thomas Couture, royalty, American and French statesmen, and men of letters. He begins with M. Couture:

"My first meeting with Thomas Couture, who became one of my best and dearest friends, was odd and characteristic. It was in 1834. I was not yet one-and-twenty, and had just arrived from the United States. I was beginning to understand a few words of French and had entered the studio of the great and unfortunate painter, Gros.

One day, as the model was resting, and I was looking at my morning's work in a somewhat melancholic state of mind, a short, thick-set young man with bright brown eyes and shaggy hair, unceremoniously pushed me aside saying, 'Donne-moi ta place, petit [Give me your place, little one].' I was going to protest, when I saw my fellow student so absorbed that I grew interested in what he was doing. He coolly turned over my sheet of gray paper and sketched the model, who, resting, had fallen into a far better attitude than that which we had copied. The outline drawing was so strong, so full of life, so easily done, that I never received a better lesson. When he had finished, he left my place as coolly as he had taken it, seemingly quite unconscious of my existence.

I did not then know the name of this free-and-easy comrade, but I kept the drawing and prized it. I am sorry to say that the woman interested with the care of my room had but small respect for the fine arts, and being one day in need of paper to light my fire, took a number of drawings for that purpose. Among those drawings was the outline sketch by Thomas Couture."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Reminiscences of a Portrait Painter" by G. P. A. Healy.)