The Chocolate Girl

Infobox Painting

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image_size=150px
title=La Belle Chocolatière
The Chocolate Girl
artist=Jean-Étienne Liotard
year=circa 1743-45
type=Pastel on parchment
height=82.5
width=52.5
city=Dresden
museum=Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister

"The Chocolate Girl" ( _fr. La Belle Chocolatière, _de. Das Schokoladenmädchen) is one of the most prominent pastels of Swiss artist Jean-Étienne Liotard, showing a chocolate-serving maid. The girl carries a tray with a porcelain chocolate mug and a glass of water. Theories concerning the girl's head-dress run from a cap cover to an echo of the colourful regional caps. [cite web|url=http://www.marquise.de/en/1700/howto/frauen/18hauben.shtml|title= 18th Century Women's Head Coverings |publisher=Marquise.de |accessdate=2008-03-11] The girl's apron features a small bodice.

Around 1900, "La Belle Chocolatière" served as inspiration for the commercial illustration of the "nurse" that appeared on Droste's cocoa tins. This was most probably a work of the commercial artist Jan (Johannes) Musset. According to Droste, "The illustration indicated the wholesome effect of chocolate milk and became inextricably bound with the name Droste." [ [http://www.droste.nl/data/content/engels/about_droste/history/1863_1918_from_confectioner_to_chocolate_producer.php "Droste: from Confectioner to Chocolate producer"] ]

Liotard's contemporaries classed "The Chocolate Girl" as his masterpiece. [cite web|url=http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/leisure_and_culture/arts/orleans_house_gallery/orleans_house_gallery_collection_catalogue/people_in_the_orleans_house_gallery_collection/jean-etienne_liotard.htm|title= Jean-Etienne Liotard - London Borough of Richmond upon Thames|publisher=Richmond.gov.uk |accessdate=2008-03-12] Since 1765 the painting has been in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden. In 1862 the American Baker's Chocolate Company obtained the rights to use the painting. [cite web|url=http://www.mce.k12tn.net/chocolate/history/history_of_chocolate5.htm|title= The History of Chocolate - 1800's |publisher= |accessdate=2008-03-11] During World War II the Germans transported it to Königstein Fortress. [ru iconcite web|url=http://cofex.blogspot.com/2006/10/blog-post_27.html|title= Триумф "Шоколадницы" |author=Наталия Синельникова |accessdate=2008-03-11] The delicate painting managed to survive the cold and dampness after the Germans retreated from advancing Soviet troops. A similar subject by Liotard is "A Lady Pouring Chocolate", 1744 (National Gallery, London).

Notes

External links

* [http://www.kraftfoods.com/BakersChocolate/story.htm Story of "The Chocolate Girl"]
* [http://www.alte-dosen.de/varia/chocolatiere/chocolatiere_e.htm "La Belle Chocolatière:The Story Of the Beautiful Chocolate-Girl "]