1880
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Capital Punishment: The Pain of Death (Todesstrafe: La peine de mort) is a 1880 by Félicien Rops, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This sketch shows a woman standing on a ledge by a window, her arms raised like she’s in pain. Below her, a body lies wrapped in cloth, with a single shoe visible. The room looks dim, with light coming through the window and a faint view of a street outside. The artist used strong contrasts between light and dark to make the scene feel heavy. The woman’s pose and the covered body suggest a story about suffering, but it’s left up to you to figure out what. Want to see more by this artist? Check out Félicien Rops.
Félicien Victor Joseph Rops (French: ; 7 July 1833 – 23 August 1898) was a Belgian artist associated with Symbolism, Decadence, and the Parisian fin de siècle, and was a member of the Les XX group.
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