The Widower
The pensive and forlorn gazes of the widower and child heighten the mournful quality of this print, made after a painting of the same title in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Although the father holds his daughter aloft to reach a small fruit or nut, neither focus on the task at hand but rather stare vaguely into space, absorbed in their own thoughts, a subtle change from the painted version. In composition as well as theme, this work relates closely to the etching "Orphan" (65.594.1). The somber subjects of these works contrast with how Tissot typically used the private garden setting for scenes of leisure.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Widower
- Artist: James Tissot (French, Nantes 1836–1902 Chenecey-Buillon)
- Date: 1877
- Medium: Etching and drypoint; published state
- Dimensions: Plate: 13 7/8 × 9 in. (35.2 × 22.8 cm)
Sheet: 17 3/8 × 12 1/16 in. (44.2 × 30.6 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Bequest of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.282.9
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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