Deuils (Mourning Clothes)
Medium
lithograph in violet on thin china (?) paper with poem by F. Champsaur
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection, gift in memory of Virginia H. Jackson
Accession Number
1996.151.125
Art Historical Context
In the waning years of the 19th century, *Deuils (Mourning Clothes)* (1895) captures a poignant moment of fin-de-siècle melancholy through the collaboration of artist Émile Coulon and writer Félicien Champsaur. This striking lithograph, printed in soft violet tones on delicate thin china paper, blends visual artistry with poetry—Champsaur's evocative verses integrated directly onto the sheet. The title evokes the somber tradition of mourning attire in French culture, where black garments symbolized grief, reflecting broader themes of loss and transience popular in Symbolist circles. Lithograp...