Malheureux! tu veux donc tuer le père de tes enfants?
1841
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1841
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a tense scene in a dimly lit room. A man in a tall hat and military coat stands with a raised sword, glaring at a seated woman. She’s dressed in old-fashioned clothes, looking shocked, with a table and a mirror in the background. The drawing is rough and sketchy, like a quick sketch. The title at the bottom asks, *"Malheureux! tu veux donc tuer le père de tes enfants?"* (roughly, *"Wretched one, do you want to kill your children’s father?"*). It’s clearly a dramatic moment, maybe a fight or confrontation. Next, look up lithography to see how this sketchy style was made.