La Mèlancolie
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
1662
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
1662
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
La Mèlancolie is a 1662 by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This etching shows a person sitting under a crumbling stone archway, lost in thought. Around them, goats graze and a dog lies nearby. The scene feels quiet and a little lonely, with rough textures in the rocks and animals. The artist used strong contrasts between light and dark to create depth. This was a common trick in Baroque art to make scenes feel dramatic. Look up Baroque next to see more examples of this bold, emotional style.
