Amans was one of the most prolific and celebrated portrait artists in Louisiana during the 2nd half of the 19th century.
He combined and emphasized meticulous draftsmanship with realism, paying particular attention to the sitter’s face and hands.
Two of the most famous works by Amans are “Creole in a Red Headdress” and a painting of former President Andrew Jackson.
oil on canvas by Jacques Amans
oil on canvas by Jacques Amans
The painting of Jackson shows an aged but capable former president. “Creole in a Red Headdress” is beloved painting of a beautiful Black woman wearing a Tignon. Both of these works invoke harmony, clarity, restraint, universality, and idealism. There is no over-ornamentation in the compositions; over-ornamentation was out of fashion by this time.
Amans was a skilled drafter. This facilitated his ability to create three-dimensional images and to focus on small details. Other famous artists who were also draftsmen include Leonardo da Vinci and Robert Seldon Duncanson.
Great artists like Amans keep us fascinated. Their skill reveals intimate things about the subjects. Poses, gestures, clothing, and props hint at the sitters’ inner lives.
Now You See Him. Now You Don’t
“Belizaire and the Frey Children,” an oil painting created by by Jacques Guillaume Lucien Amans in 1837, is an extraordinarily rare image of biracial/Black and white children.
The naturalistic portrayal of Belizaire is magnificent! He commands the highest position in the painting as he leans against the tree. He is shown as a fully actualized individual, both distinctive and compelling. Details are conveyed with light, composition, and movement.
The painting remained in the Frey family for 100 years. Regrettably, it was mutilated to erase the image of Belizaire during the early 20th century. Later, it was donated to the New Orleans Museum of Art, where it languished in the museum’s basement.
Ultimately, the museum decided to deaccession the work, selling it for $6,000. The museum’s curatorial team saw no value in paying for the work to be restored or of keeping it in the collection.
This is a very tragic commentary on the status of race relations in America. It is especially tragic because a fine art museum, which should be a bastion for enlightenment, made such a terrible decision.
Fortunately, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York restored the painting. “Belizaire and the Frey Children” is now on display at the museum, and it’s backstory has been featured prominently in the New York Times and other publications. More details about the painting can be found by reading “His Name Was Bélizaire.”
Amans was a critically acclaimed artist and this composition is exceedingly rare. Good curators and collectors of fine art are looking everywhere for paintings like this one. John Bullard from the New Orleans Museum of Art confessed, “I think in hindsight it was a mistake. Mistakes happen.”
Hayes Advocacy for Vegas Arts will continue to research and share details about fine art and artists. Through education we can create a populace who will not tolerate these “mistakes.”