The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 9, 2026

Man Playing a Cello

c. 1725–30

Nicolas Lancret

(French, 1690–1743)
France
red chalk on antique laid paper
Sheet: 20.7 x 16 cm (8 1/8 x 6 5/16 in.); Mounted: 25.7 x 21.1 cm (10 1/8 x 8 5/16 in.)
Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2018.1058
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Lancret frequently depicted musical performances, set both outdoors and in the homes of the French aristocracy.

Description

Nicolas Lancret was known for his use of red chalk, the medium used in this sheet. It depicts a cellist, who Lancret would later incorporate into an oil painting showing an outdoor concert. Here, the artist sketched the man’s form and, in the upper right corner, carefully focused on the position and tense grip of his hand on the bow.
  • Georges Danvau [1832-1894], Paris, France
    November 29, 1986
    Sotheby's, Monaco
    1986
    David Schaff Fine Arts, Chadds Ford, PA
    Mr. Noah L. Butkin [1918-1980]
    Mrs. Muriel Butkin [1915-2008]
    December 3, 2018
    the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Dessins Anciens et du XIXe siècle, Tableaux Anciens et du XIXe siècle, Tableaux Anciens des XIXe et XXe siècles (Monaco: Sotheby’s, 1986)
  • {{cite web|title=Man Playing a Cello|url=false|author=Nicolas Lancret|year=c. 1725–30|access-date=09 October 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2018.1058