A Cardinal in Profile

An anecdotal history painter and a founder of the Société des Aquarellistes, Vibert is best known for his mildly satiric paintings of clerics enjoying their leisure time, a genre that was hugely popular among American collectors. The distinctive red used for the cardinals' garments was even referred to as “Vibert red.” He was also a technical innovator and published a tome devoted to “The Science of Painting” in 1892.
This head of a cardinal in the Roman Catholic church evokes one of Vibert's favorite themes: scenes of bibliophilic cardinals encountering precious tomes. In his 1902 magnum opus Comédie en peinture, Vibert devoted a chapter to "books and art works." Here, the cardinal sits, eyes closed, as depicted in exacting detail by the artist.