Sir Walter Raleigh Parting with His Wife
1846
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1846
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This print shows a man and woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes, standing close together in a dimly lit room. The man is adjusting something on the woman’s sleeve while a boy watches from the stairs in the background. Around them, books, a globe, and tools lie scattered on a table and the floor, giving the room a lived-in feel. The title at the bottom says this scene is about Sir Walter Raleigh saying goodbye to his wife. The artist used deep shadows and light to create a dramatic mood, which was a common trick in this style. Look up chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow to tell stories.
