A Kiss Before the Journey
Departure on Honeymoon – Jules Girardet, late 19th century – Genre Painting
The doorway is grand, the moment tender. A young couple, dressed in the finest fashions of the 18th century, pauses on the cobbled step as love and laughter swirl around them. Painted by Jules Girardet—master of theatrical, romantic scenes—Departure on Honeymoon is a celebration of beginnings, farewells, and the elegant charm of another age.
Though likely painted in the late 19th or early 20th century, Girardet sets the scene in the Rococo past—a time of powdered wigs, corsets, and feathered hats. It’s not historical accuracy he’s after, but a feeling: festive, flirtatious, and full of life.
The Scene Before Us
The coach is waiting. A red-wheeled carriage stands ready in the street, its rear basket packed with boxes and ribbons. The groom, in rust-orange coat and white stockings, gently guides his new bride down the steps. She is radiant in white silk and a scarlet-lined cloak trimmed in fur. One hand gathers her skirt, the other clasps his.
Beside her, a masked figure leans in for a final kiss—perhaps a sister, friend, or confidante bidding her farewell in the dramatic fashion of the day. Above, from the balcony, a group of onlookers waves and cheers with playful delight. Even the little white dog at her feet adds to the sense of bustling excitement.
Girardet choreographs it all with a theatrical eye. Each gesture, gaze, and costume is composed like a scene on stage.
The Deeper Meaning
While this may seem like a simple depiction of aristocratic romance, it’s more than that. Girardet captures the emotional threshold between old life and new—the moment when one world recedes, and another opens.
There’s nostalgia here, too. By dressing his figures in Rococo attire, Girardet invites us to look back—perhaps not to history as it truly was, but to how we imagine it: refined, romantic, and joyful. It’s the same impulse that drives costume balls and classic novels, a longing for elegance and emotion unmarred by modern complexity.
And at its heart is a universal theme: the ritual of goodbye and the hope of what comes next.
A Moment Caught in Time
You can almost hear the rustle of fabric, the click of the carriage wheel, the laughter from above. It’s a painting that moves, even though everything is still. The young woman’s sideways glance, the man’s poised hand, the curious dog—they all freeze this moment like a memory captured in soft light.
Girardet gives us not just a glimpse into the past, but a glimpse into joy. Into new love. Into the simple magic of departure, with all its fluttering nerves and sparkling promises.
About Artist
Jules Girardet (April 10, 1856 – January 25, 1938) was a French painter and illustrator of Swiss ancestry, born in Versailles. Coming from a family of artists, Girardet studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and under Alexandre Cabanel, a prominent academic painter. He established his career primarily in genre painting and historical scenes, exhibiting regularly at the Paris Salon from 1881. He won a silver medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle and lived and worked in Boulogne-Billancourt.
Artist Style and Movement
Girardet worked predominantly in Academic style with a focus on genre painting, depicting intimate, narrative-rich scenes of everyday life. His works combine careful draftsmanship, keen observation of human behavior, and a refined palette that lends warmth and realism. Though he painted historical subjects, his genre scenes of family life, social interactions, and emotional moments are notable for their storytelling clarity and detail.
Artwork Profile / Notable Works
- Departure on Honeymoon: This painting captures a touching and atmospheric moment of a couple leaving for their honeymoon, illustrating themes of love, transition, and anticipation with delicate emotion and composition.
- The Siege of Saragossa: A historical composition reflecting Girardet’s engagement with dramatic historical narratives.
- The Route of Cholet and The Revolt of Fouesnant: These works portray dramatic and political moments tied to French history, emphasizing Girardet’s range beyond genre scenes.
- At the Edge of Lake Léman: A serene landscape painting held by the Museum of Berne, showcasing Girardet’s versatility beyond figures and scenes.
Jules Girardet remains recognized for his sensitive and richly detailed genre paintings that narrate daily life and historical events with academic rigor and emotional resonance. His contributions to French art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries have secured his place as a chronicler of human experience, blending narrative depth and technical mastery.
