Melancholy
1877
A winged figure embodies the very essence of sadness in this dramatic 1877 engraving by François-Nicolas Chifflart, an artist famous for his dark illustrations of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. She sits slumped in the foreground, head resting heavily on her hand—a classic pose of melancholy—while a broken lyre and scattered tools lie at her feet, suggesting the death of inspiration. Behind her, chaos reigns: wild figures dance and ride rearing horses toward a distant domed temple, creating a stark contrast between the noisy celebration of the crowd and the silent despair of the muse. It's a powerful visual metaphor for feeling completely out of step with the world's joy.
- Technique
- engraving