Jean-Etienne Liotard 78 High Resolution Images

Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702-1789) was a Swiss painter of notable originality and international renown, celebrated for his mastery of pastel portraiture and his cosmopolitan career across eighteenth-century Europe. Born in Geneva into a family of Huguenot descent, Liotard received his initial artistic training locally before moving to Paris, where he studied under the famed Rococo artist Jean-Baptiste Massé. However, Liotard’s style would diverge from both his teacher and the prevailing French taste, developing a distinctive clarity and directness that set his work apart.

Liotard’s career was marked by extensive travel, which profoundly influenced both his technique and subject matter. He spent formative years in Italy, absorbing the lessons of the Old Masters, before embarking on a voyage to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) in 1738. This sojourn had a lasting impact: Liotard adopted the dress of the Orient, often wearing a long kaftan and turban, which became his trademark and earned him the moniker “the Turkish painter.” His fascination with Eastern costumes and customs is evident in many of his portraits, where sitters are often attired in exotic apparel, reflecting both the contemporary vogue for “turquerie” and Liotard’s own penchant for realism.