Sadness 1887

Paul-Albert Besnard created this print, "Sadness", using etching, a process that involves scratching into a metal plate, inking it, and then pressing it onto paper. Besnard lived during a time of great social and political change in France, as industrialization, urbanization, and the rise of new social classes challenged traditional norms. The woman depicted is slumped, head in her hand, in a universal sign of grief. There is something deeply personal in this image, it is a study in emotional experience. Prints like this made art more accessible to a wider audience, a shift towards democratizing art. Rather than portray a grand mythological or historical scene, Besnard has captured a fleeting moment of human emotion. He does so without idealizing his subject, breaking from academic traditions. Besnard has left us with an intimate glimpse into the interior life. It is a reminder of the importance of acknowledging and understanding the complexities of human emotion, then and now.