Jean-Étienne Liotard Breakfast Scenes

A World Traveler

Since Liotard spent most of his life traveling to Paris, Vienna, London, and other European cities, he became well acquainted with Europe’s upper class. His naturalistic style of painting showcased his interest in the Enlightenment. Liotard is best known for his breakfast scenes of the aristocracy.

The Lavergne Family Breakfast

Perhaps the most celebrated breakfast scene is The Lavergne Family Breakfast, painted in 1754. This masterpiece was made during the height of Liotard’s career in 1750s London. A pastel painting such as this was worth more than large oil paintings by contemporary London artists. The pastel painting is so precious that since the National Gallery obtained it in 1754, it has never been shown to the public.

In this painting, a woman is shown watching a little girl dip her biscuit in a cup of coffee with milk. Both figures wear fine clothing and eat off an expensive lacquer tray. Liotard has made a unique decision to emphasize the items on the tray. He used thick pastels to create dimension to mimic pottery-like reflections on the tea set. We know it is a breakfast scene for two reasons. One obvious clue is that the little girl is wearing paper curls in her hair, which she had slept in the night before. The second example is the coffee and breakfast biscuit.

While this scene might appear as a casual breakfast between a mother and daughter, it is the quintessential example of 18th-century luxury. According to the National Gallery, coffee and chocolate were affluent beverages enjoyed at breakfast in elite family homes. Therefore, chocolate was another luxury, and Liotard was known for painting it.

The Chocolate Girl

Chocolate was a luxury in 18th-century Europe due to its high price. It was served as a beverage, similar to the modern version of our hot chocolate. Although The Lavergne Family Breakfast is now considered Liotard’s most important masterpiece, to his contemporaries, it was The Chocolate Girl (c. 1743). As shown, a German maid is carrying a tray of chocolate in a porcelain cup and a glass of water.

As always, Liotard has paid extra attention to the details of the porcelain cup, lacquer tray, and glass of water. Pastels are challenging to use due to their delicate chalk material; therefore, it is unbelievable how detailed this painting is. Francesco Algarotti purchased the painting in 1745 and wrote a letter describing Liotard’s masterpiece to a friend. He claimed the painting was perfect and a Holbein in pastel.

A Dutch Girl at Breakfast

Lastly, Liotard also painted his wife having breakfast in A Dutch Girl at Breakfast from 1756. This painting depicts his wife elegantly enjoying her morning coffee at a small round table. While in this article, we have discussed how prominent coffee and chocolate were in European society, it is interesting to have this perspective from the artist’s home.

It is understood that Liotard was popular and made money as an artist. Therefore, are we meant to perceive this painting as his success as an artist since he portrays his wife indulging in this luxurious breakfast?