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Melancholy

Nicolas-François Chifflart

1877

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Allegory

Dominant colour

Melancholy is a 1877 by Nicolas-François Chifflart, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Nicolas-François Chifflart
When & what style?: 1877 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This etching shows a lone figure slumped on a rock, wrapped in a loose cloth. The person’s head is resting on their hand, looking down at a small, oddly shaped object in their lap. Behind them, tangled trees and a shadowy sky fill the background, with faint shapes of people or animals barely visible in the distance. The artist used deep contrasts between light and dark to create a heavy mood. The figure’s posture and the strange object in their hands suggest a quiet, troubled state. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this technique works in other art.