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Open 10:00–5:00

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
America’s 250th

Celebrating American art and artists
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Mélancolie (Melancholy)

1895

Alfred-Nicolas Martin

Associated Names

Alfred-Nicolas Martin

Artist, French, second half 19th century

The image depicts the upper part of a person's body, focusing on their face and hands. The person is positioned with their chin on their clasped hands in a contemplative manner. Their facial features are softly defined with deep shadows, and they have medium-length hair blending into the dark background. The figure is wearing dark clothing and a ring on one of their fingers. The background is a smooth, monochromatic surface contrasting with the illuminated portions of the person's face and hands.

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Artwork overview

Medium

lithograph in black on heavy japan paper
Credit Line

Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection, gift in memory of Virginia H. Jackson
Dimensions

image: 26 x 21.7 cm (10 1/4 x 8 9/16 in.)
sheet: 37.2 x 28.1 cm (14 5/8 x 11 1/16 in.)
Accession Number

1996.151.107

The artwork is an etching of a person with striking facial features and an ornate headpiece, placed at the center of a large, light-colored paper. The portrait depicts the individual from the shoulders up, facing forward with a neutral expression. The person's hair is voluminous, and they wear a textured or patterned garment. The background of the piece is plain, creating significant negative space around the image. — Tesson humain (Human Fragment)

Félicien Rops

1895

The image is a cover page. It shows a plain beige piece of paper with the text 'l'Epreuve' and 'Album d'Art' printed in a simple, classic font in the top right corner. The paper appears to be aged, with a slightly uneven texture and a gentle shadow along the left edge indicating a binding. There's a faint pencil mark near the center of the page. The overall presentation is minimalistic and suggests a vintage or archival aesthetic. — L'Épreuve (album 5, deluxe edition)

Ferdinand-Jean Luigini, Eugène Béjot, Georges Rochegrosse, Alphonse Osbert, Maurice Dumont, Jean Danguy, Félicien Rops, Antonio de la Gandara, Henri-Charles Guérard, Alfred-Nicolas Martin, Camille Bourget

1895

The image depicts a small etching of a person's upper body and face within a framed square in the center of a plain off-white background. The person's facial features are detailed, they are wearing headwear and textured clothing. No jewelry or objects are visible in the image. — Tesson humain (Human Fragment)

Félicien Rops

1895

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Virginia and Ira Jackson, Houston; gift to NGA, 1996.

Associated Names

Jackson, Ira, Dr.

Inscriptions

upper left in stone: Alfred-Martin; stamped upper right verso in black: 012

Wikidata ID

Q75409280

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