Sadness (from "Heads Representing the Various Passions of the Soul; as they are Expressed in the Human Countenance: Drawn by that Great Master Monsieur Le Brun")
Medium
Engraving with etching
Dimensions
Plate: 11 1/4 x 7 1/4 in. (28.6 x 18.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.638.31(20-10)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving captures the essence of profound melancholy through the downturned gaze and softened features of a woman’s face, part of a celebrated 18th-century series titled *Heads Representing the Various Passions of the Soul*. Originally conceived by the renowned French artist Charles Le Brun in the 1660s, the series explored how facial expressions reveal inner emotions—a concept that influenced painters, actors, and scholars across Europe for generations. Published in London in 1765 by Robert Sayer, this print was created using engraving and etching techniques, allowing fine details of t...
About the Artist
Charles Le Brun|Robert Sayer|Anonymous, British, 18th century · 1619–1690
Charles Le Brun (1619–1690) was the most powerful artistic figure in seventeenth-century France, serving as the virtual dictator of official taste during the reign of Louis XIV and shaping the visual identity of the French Baroque in ways that resonated for generations. Born in Paris, he trained under the painter Simon Vouet before traveling to Rome in 1642, where he studied the works of Nicolas P...