1899
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Life Becomes Precious, Discreet is a 1899 by Maurice Denis, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a woman in a white dress sitting on a bench, her face turned away. Soft light filters through trees behind her, making the scene feel quiet and private. This painting is part of a series where Denis painted his wife, Marthe, using titles from his own journal. The images are simple but leave room for you to think about what they mean—like a visual diary entry. To see more of Denis’s personal, dreamy style, look up Maurice Denis (French, 1870–1943).
Maurice Denis belonged to the Nabis, a group of artists who came together in 1889 to pursue a radical new style informed by subjective experience and emotion. This print is from a series in which Denis explored his devotion to his wife, Marthe, by depicting her in a variety of settings alongside titles drawn from his own journal. The vague but evocative images were meant to encourage the viewer to draw connections to the theme and meditate on its meaning.
Maurice Denis was a devout Catholic and often drew visual connections between his wife, Marthe, the subject of this print series, and the Virgin Mary.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Maurice Denis (French: ; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
