Melancholy 1907

Albert Belleroche made this lithograph, Melancholy, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The whole image seems to shimmer, because of the way Belleroche used the lithographic crayon. There are gentle gradations of light and shadow across the woman’s face, and the background. I wonder if Belleroche felt melancholy himself when he made it. Did he see a mirror of his own feelings in his sitter? There’s something very tender about the way he has depicted her downturned gaze. The dark areas around her shawl are strong, and make her pale skin appear even softer. It makes me think of other figurative artists like Paula Modersohn-Becker and Käthe Kollwitz, who were interested in the interior lives of women. All three artists share a deep sensitivity to the human condition. It's the artist's ongoing work, like they are all in conversation and exchange of ideas across time.