Nachtelijk straattafereel met wanhopige vrouw en neergevallen man 1848 - 1862

Editor: This is "Nachtelijk straattafereel met wanhopige vrouw en neergevallen man"—quite a mouthful! Adolphe Mouilleron created this drawing with ink sometime between 1848 and 1862. It's currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Gosh, it's bleak. What strikes me is how stark the despair feels. The woman looks absolutely shattered. What do you see in it? Curator: The raw emotion, yes. It’s practically clawing its way off the page. This work really dives deep into the kind of dramatic storytelling that artists of the Romantic era embraced, but it seems intensely personal, don't you think? It reminds me of Goya, especially in its unflinching gaze into the darkest corners of human experience. And notice how Mouilleron uses the darkness itself—the heavy ink—almost as another character. Have you ever felt swallowed by the night, just as these figures seem to be? Editor: Absolutely. That intense contrast makes it even more disturbing. So, is this kind of emotionally charged depiction typical for Mouilleron? Curator: Not especially, no. He actually spent much of his time working as a printmaker reproducing other artists' works, making his art more accessible. But he often created such expressive pieces. This work almost vibrates with nervous energy. I see it as an extremely heartfelt lament; a cry in the night captured on paper. And it gives me chills to think it was based on events that actually occurred. Editor: So it is an outstanding and heartfelt personal statement… that you can feel. Amazing, thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Each viewing reveals a little more of that dark landscape!