Portrait de Louis Delaunay (1854-1937), sociétaire de la Comédie-Française, dans le rôle de Perdican

Théobald Chartran's portrait of Louis Delaunay (1854–1937) in the role of Perdican (1885) depicts a sociétaire of the Comédie-Française in character from Alfred de Musset's play 'On ne badine pas avec l'amour.' Chartran was commissioned to paint a comprehensive series of the Comédie-Française's actors and actresses in their celebrated roles — portraits that would form a permanent visual record of the institution's leading artists. The choice of Musset's Perdican — the young nobleman who plays dangerously with a young woman's affections — gave Chartran scope for romantic theatrical characterization. The work is in the Musée Carnavalet.

The theatrical portrait presents Delaunay in costume with the posture and expression of his stage role, bridging portraiture and theatrical documentation. Chartran uses a painterly, sympathetic approach that individualizes the actor within the theatrical character. The handling of the period costume is carefully observed.