Mélancolie (Melancholy)
Medium
lithograph in black on heavy japan paper
Dimensions
image: 26 x 21.7 cm (10 1/4 x 8 9/16 in.) sheet: 37.2 x 28.1 cm (14 5/8 x 11 1/16 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
1996.151.107
Art Historical Context
**Mélancolie (Meloly)**, created by French artist Alfred-Nicolas in 1895, the introspective mood of the fin-de-siècle era through a striking lithograph in black ink on heavy japan paper. 26 x 21.7 cm for the image and 37.2 x 28.1 cm for the sheet, intimate print invites viewers to contemplate themes of quiet sorrow, a recurring motif in late 19th-century European art. Lithography, Martin's chosen medium, allowed for rich tonal variations and fluid lines directly from the artist's hand, mimicking the spontaneity of drawing while enabling multiple impressions. The heavy japan paper—prized for i...