Frontispiece
1865
Serving as the dramatic cover for his 1865 portfolio 'Improvisations sur cuivre' (Improvisations on Copper), this etching by François-Nicolas Chifflart looks like a scene straight out of a dark fantasy novel. A massive stone tablet bearing the title dominates the center, surrounded by tortured, muscular figures that scream Romantic angst. At the top, a winged figure hunches over in despair, while a man on the right reaches desperately toward the sky, and an artist's palette lies abandoned in the rubble below. It's a moody, intense introduction to Chifflart's work, published by the famous Parisian art dealer Alfred Cadart, perfectly capturing the turbulent spirit of the era.
- Technique
- etching
- Material
- paper