Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme thumbnail 1
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Paintings, Room 82, The Edwin and Susan Davies Galleries

Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme

Oil Painting
ca. 1841 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The scene comes from Molière's satirical comedy The Bourgeois Gentleman, which was first performed in 1670. Monsieur Jourdain wishes to be thought of as a gentleman. In demonstrating his new fencing skills to his maidservant Nicole, he is embarrassed to be struck several times by her foil. His wife looks on in amusement.
Leslie was brought up in the United States, but worked in London. He was a friend and biographer of the landscape painter John Constable.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLe Bourgeois Gentilhomme (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Oil on canvas
Brief description
Oil painting by Charles Robert Leslie entitled 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme' (Moliere, 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme' Act III, Scene 3). Great Britain, 1841.
Physical description
Oil painting depicting characters fencing from Moliere's 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme', (Act III, Scene 3).
Dimensions
  • Estimate height: 61cm
  • Estimate width: 97.7cm
Dimensions taken from Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860, Ronald Parkinson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1990
Style
Credit line
Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857
Object history
Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857
Subjects depicted
Literary reference'Le Bougeois Gentilhomme' by Moliere
Summary
The scene comes from Molière's satirical comedy The Bourgeois Gentleman, which was first performed in 1670. Monsieur Jourdain wishes to be thought of as a gentleman. In demonstrating his new fencing skills to his maidservant Nicole, he is embarrassed to be struck several times by her foil. His wife looks on in amusement.
Leslie was brought up in the United States, but worked in London. He was a friend and biographer of the landscape painter John Constable.
Bibliographic reference
Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860, Ronald Parkinson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1990, pp. 165-66
Collection
Accession number
FA.116[O]

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Record createdMay 19, 2003
Record URL
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