Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
The Savoyard
(18th and 19th Centuries )
Natives from Savoy emigrated to Paris, where they frequently eked out a living as chimney sweeps or as itinerant musicians. Miller executed a preliminary drawing of this subject in Paris in 1834, which he preserved in a scrapbook. He presented this oil sketch to Jennie Walters (1853-1922), the daughter of his patron, William T. Walters. The syntax in Jennie's letter of acknowledgment suggests that the gift was made after the Walters' return from Europe following the Civil War. Miller repeated this theme in another sketch, also in a family scrapbook, showing Jean Valjean and a young Savoyard with a hurdy-gurdy, characters taken from Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables" of 1862.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Jennie Walters, Baltimore; Henry Walters (?) [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum [date and mode of acquisition unknown].
Exhibitions
| 1988 | Alfred Jacob Miller: Maryland and the West. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore; Washington College, Chestertown; Frostburg State University, Frostburg; Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, Rockville. |
| 1981-1982 | Alfred Jacob Miller: An Artist on the Oregon Trail. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore; Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth; Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 8/11/1981 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Geographies
France, Paris (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 8 3/16 x W: 6 3/8 in. (20.8 x 16.19 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters (?)
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.1584