1881
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Genius of Music is a 1881 by Henri Fantin-Latour, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This sketch shows two blurred figures hunched over a small framed chalkboard. The board lists four names in messy handwriting: Schumann, Berlioz, Wagner, and Brahms. The figures’ faces are smudged, but one holds a bundle of sticks or reeds. The chalkboard names are all famous composers, suggesting this isn’t just two people—it’s music itself taking shape. The drawing feels rough and quick, like a first draft. If you like this style, check out Impressionism next—it often feels this sketchy and alive.
Ignace Henri Jean Theodore Fantin-Latour (French pronunciation: ; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers.
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