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Sweet Melancholy
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The chair, brazier, table, and the setting all show Vien's interest in bringing archaeological accuracy to a new level of precision. Yet his delicate handling and graceful palette derive squarely from 18th-century French painting. The gesture of the melancholic figure, with her head on her hand, has roots going back to the Renaissance. Nonetheless, the painting has a wistful rather than tragic tone. Indeed, images of women in interiors, contemplating a letter with longing or sadness, derive from earlier Dutch paintings of daily life, here transformed into an ancient context.
| Artist / Maker | Joseph-Marie Vien |
|---|---|
| Date | 1756 |
| Culture / Origin | France |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | Framed: 86.4 x 76.2 x 6.5 cm (34 x 30 x 2 9/16 in.); Unframed: 68 x 55 cm (26 3/4 x 21 5/8 in.) |
| Department | European Painting and Sculpture |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
Born and trained in Montpellier, Vien moved to Paris in 1740 where he quickly achieved success, largely with the support of Natoire and Boucher. Vien won the Grand Prix in 1743 which allowed him to study in Rome until 1750. He entered the Academy in 1754. In 1775 he became director of the French academy in Rome and served as first painter to Louis XVI for less than a year in 1789. In the 1750s, Vien abandoned the Rococo style… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
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