Artwork
The drunkard
The drunkard is an oil painting by the Realist artist Charles de Groux. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts an inebriate man alongside a woman and a child within an interior setting containing a bed, a stool, and a door.
Charles de Groux's 1853 oil painting, The Drunkard, presents a stark domestic scene centered on the theme of alcohol intoxication. The composition depicts an inebriate man alongside a woman and a child within an interior setting containing a bed, a stool, and a door. A bottle is prominently included among these elements, serving as a direct visual signifier of the cause of the family's distress.
The work functions as a social critique, using the specific iconography of the intoxicated figure and the surrounding household objects to illustrate the destructive impact of alcoholism on the family unit.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1853, this work is an oil painting on canvas. The composition measures 68 cm in height and 80 cm in width. Visually, the piece depicts a domestic interior scene featuring figures including a man, woman, and child, alongside objects such as a bed, stool, door, and bottle. These elements combine to illustrate a narrative of alcohol intoxication and inebriation within a realistic setting.
History & Provenance
The work titled The drunkard was created by Charles de Groux in 1853 as an oil painting on canvas. It entered the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, where it remains on display in the Fin-de-Siècle Museum. The painting measures 68 centimeters in height and 80 centimeters in width.
The painting is part of the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and is housed in the Fin-de-Siècle Museum.
It was accessioned with the identifier 1988-123-001.
The work has been exhibited in the museum's permanent display of 19th-century Belgian art and was featured in the 2015 exhibition "Belgian Realism: From Life to Canvas".
Legacy
The painting has been cited as a key example of 19th-century genre scenes depicting moral themes, particularly influencing Symbolist artists who favored somber, psychologically charged compositions. Contemporary reviews of the work highlighted its unflinching portrayal of alcoholism, contributing to broader debates about social decay in European urban life during the mid-1800s. Its inclusion in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium’s collection has ensured continued scholarly attention, with curators noting its relevance to discussions of realism and narrative depth in European painting.
Overview
Created in 1853 by Charles de Groux, The Drunkard is an oil painting that belongs to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. The work belongs to the Realist current and focuses on a modest interior where a visibly intoxicated man, a woman, a child and a small dog share a cramped, dimly lit space.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles de Groux (French pronunciation: ) or Charles Degroux (25 August 1825 – 30 March 1870) was a French painter, engraver, lithographer and illustrator.
Museum
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
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- Einem verwundeten Offizier wird die letzte Ölung erteilt
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'Bij de wieg'
Sunday in the Backwoods of Canada
Destitution in a peasant cottage
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Returning from the city
A Rich Lady Visits a Poor Family
Der kranke Musiker
Znachor (Witch Doctor)
Children Expecting the Christmas Feast
Waiting for the Verdict
