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Henry Samary (1864-1902) was a young actor from the Comédie-Française, where his famous sister, Jeanne Samary also appeared; she was painted several times by Renoir. Henry too went to train at the Comédie Française in 1883. While there, he performed in plays by Molière, and also acted in works by contemporary writers such as Feuillet, Sardou and Richepin.
The lightly caricatured Samary was playing the role of Raoul de Vaubert in the comedy "Mademoiselle de la Seiglière" by Jules Sandeau (1811-1883) at the time the portrait was painted. The young actor enjoyed great success in this role. The costume and the affected pose on stage, as well as the slightly ironic overdrawing, are in themselves a comment on the profession of the actor.
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