Melancholy (Mélancolie)

1888

Albert Besnard

Associated Names
Albert Besnard

Artist, French, 1849 - 1934

The image shows an upper body view of a person positioned slightly turned to the left, gazing into the distance. The person's face is depicted in profile, capturing delicate and slightly angular facial features with a focused or contemplative expression. Their hair is tousled, falling in loose waves around the head. They are draped in heavy, textured clothing that wraps around their shoulders. In the background, the image is set against a textured surface with abstract, organic line work. The overall composition has a sketch-like quality.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and softground etching in brown on Arches laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bell

  • Dimensions

    plate: 12.9 x 13 cm (5 1/16 x 5 1/8 in.)
    sheet: 32.6 x 25.2 cm (12 13/16 x 9 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1994.4.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Delteil, no. 81, State only

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Professor and Mrs. Daniel Bell, Cambridge; gift to NGA, 1994.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1906

  • Delteil, Loys. Le peintre-graveur illustre. 31 vols. Paris: Published by the author, 1906-1926. Reprint. New York: Collectors Editions, Da Capo Press, 1969. Vol. 30 (Albert Besnard) is by Louis Godefroy.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: ABesnard; lower left in graphite: Tiré à 100; by later hand, upper center verso in graphite: Mélancolie / 75

Markings

None.

Watermarks

Arches

Wikidata ID

Q75124548

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