Perseus
1865
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1865
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Perseus is a 1865 by Nicolas-François Chifflart, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A muscular man holds a sword in one hand and a severed head in the other. The scene is dark, with sharp lines cutting through the shadows. Chifflart drew this directly onto a copper plate, treating it like a quick sketch. The medium let him work fast, almost like doodling, which gives the image a raw, urgent feel. It’s small—meant to be held close, not hung on a wall. Look up *sfumato* to see how other artists softened edges in dark scenes like this.
