Scènes de moeurs: Un quatrieme étage rue N. D. de Lorette. Je crois qu'elle lit ma lettre...à moins que c'en soit une autre. Elle en avait neuf chez le portier
Charles Joseph Traviès de Villers
1838
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Charles Joseph Traviès de Villers
1838
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This sketch shows two women on a narrow balcony. One sits stiffly in a long dress, holding something in her lap. The other leans over the railing, her face hidden. Between them is a potted plant and a door with a small window. The building below looks plain, with a low wall and a street visible at the bottom. The title hints at a story—maybe about letters or secrets. The women’s poses feel tense, like they’re waiting or hiding something. Next, check out Romanticism to see how artists used drama and emotion in everyday scenes.
