Artwork
Annabella ('Tis Pity She's a Whore)
Annabella ('Tis Pity She's a Whore) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Henri Bataille. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Henri Bataille’s 1894 lithograph presents a solitary female figure rendered in stark black against a light‑brown wove paper. The image is titled Annabella, referencing the central heroine of John Ford’s early seventeenth‑century tragedy, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore.' The work exemplifies the artist’s engagement with literary subjects through the medium of print.
Subject & Meaning
The depicted woman is Annabella, a character whose tragic fate and illicit love have long fascinated dramatists and visual artists. By isolating her in a single, unadorned pose, Bataille invites contemplation of her emotional state, echoing the play’s themes of desire, honor, and societal constraint.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on the traditional stone‑or‑metal planographic process, wherein the artist draws directly with greasy media that repels water and attracts ink. The choice of black pigment on a warm, light‑brown paper surface creates a tonal contrast that emphasizes line and form over shading, characteristic of late‑nineteenth‑century French printmaking.
History & Provenance
Created in 1894, the print emerged during a period when Bataille was exploring narrative illustration and theatrical subjects. While specific ownership records are limited, the work has been catalogued in several collections of French prints from the fin de siècle, reflecting its circulation among connoisseurs of graphic art.
Context
‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore' was penned by English playwright John Ford (c. 1586‑1662) and performed in the Restoration era. Bataille’s decision to render Annabella aligns with a broader nineteenth‑century fascination with Shakespearean and early modern drama, wherein visual artists often revisited classic literary figures to comment on contemporary moral anxieties.
Artist & collection
