Last year, I wrote a piece about Anthony Francis Roger – one of number of French dancers who came to work in London in the early 18^th century. He turns up in a newly published book that I have just begun reading, Robert V. Kenny’s Monsieur Francisque’s Touring Troupe and Anglo-French Theatrical Culture, 1690-1770 (full details below). Kenny draws attention to a painting by Watteau, Les Comédiens Italiens, now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, in which the central figure is Pierrot. He cites an article (also referenced below), which suggests that the painting was created to commemorate Roger’s benefit performance at the King’s Theatre on 9 June 1720. Here is the advertisement for that performance from the Daily Courant of the same date.

He was appearing with De Grimbergh’s company of ‘French Comedians’. The implication is that Pierrot is a portrait of Monsieur Roger. If that is so, then we have a likeness to add to the very few we have of professional dancers working in London at this period. Here is the painting, with a detail of Pierrot himself.

References:

Robert V. Kenny. Monsieur Francisque’s Touring Troupe and Anglo-French Theatrical Culture, 1690-1770 (London, 2025), pp. 78-79.

Judy Sund. ‘Why So Sad? Watteau’s Pierrots’, The Art Bulletin, Vo. 98 no. 3 (September 2016), 321-347 (pp. 329-330)