Mélancolie (Melancholy)
1894
Medium
lithograph in green on heavy japan paper
Dimensions
image: 23.7 x 15.4 cm (9 5/16 x 6 1/16 in.) overall: 38 x 28 cm (14 15/16 x 11 in.)
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
1996.151.10
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Jean Danguy’s “Mélancolie” (1894) presents a quiet, introspective mood through its evocative title and restrained composition. Created at the close of the nineteenth century, the print captures the era’s interest in emotional states and personal reflection, themes that resonated widely in European art of the time. The work is a lithograph printed in a single shade of green on heavy Japan paper, a material prized for its smooth surface and ability to hold fine detail. Lithography offered artists a versatile means of producing subtle tonal effects and reaching broader audiences than unique paintings could, while the monochromatic green heightens the contemplative atmosphere suggested by the title. Measuring just under ten inches in height, the image rewards close viewing, drawing attention to its delicate lines and atmospheric quality. Now part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection, this print continues to invite viewers to pause and consider the enduring human experience of melancholy.
About the Artist
Jean Danguy · 1863–1926
**Jean Célestin Danguy: Symbolist Painter and Printmaker** Born on November 23, 1863, in Gagny, France, at his maternal grandmother Rose Thorel's home—where she directed the local post office—Jean Célestin Danguy grew up in an artistic family. His father, Célestin Danguy, was a history painter renowned for reproducing Franz Xaver Winterhalter's portrait of Napoleon III for public buildings, inclu...