ABSTRACT
Somewhat downcast, and markedly casual, Joseph appears to be a portrait of man without means. His bristly mustache, unkempt unruly hair, lightly swollen face, puffed lids and watery-yellowish eyes further this impression. A free spirit and carefree without a worry in the world, the picture that la Bédollière draws is of a native from the tropics—a strong, robust black, uninhibited, ready to laugh, ready for high-jinks. De la Bédollière’s portrait thus abides by the conventions of Géricault’s day, a racist portrait that burlesques blacks, that views Joseph as an attractive specimen, a hunk with “broad shoulders and a trim torso. (who) in spite of his innumerable distractions” (presumably with the ladies) is able to maintain an enviable physique. With Géricault’s quotidian portraits of blacks, one can only surmise that these canvases were neither commissioned nor exhibited during his lifetime. A generous undercurrent underlies Géricault’s portraits of blacks.
