Who painted Misery (La Misère)?

Misery (La Misère) was painted by Paul-Albert Besnard in 1886.

Where can I see Misery (La Misère)?

Misery (La Misère) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Misery (La Misère)?

Misery (La Misère) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Misery (La Misère)

Paul-Albert Besnard , 1886

Misery (La Misère) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Paul-Albert Besnard. It dates from 1886 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Albert Besnard’s print Misery (La Misère), executed around 1886, combines etching, aquatint, dry‑point and a printed tone on laid Van Gelder paper.

Albert Besnard’s print Misery (La Misère), executed around 1886, combines etching, aquatint, dry‑point and a printed tone on laid Van Gelder paper. The composition presents a solitary figure reclined in a dim interior, a cat perched nearby, and a narrow window that offers a muted glimpse of an urban landscape beyond. The overall atmosphere is one of stillness and isolation, conveyed through restrained tonal contrasts.

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts an unnamed person lying on a bed, their back turned to the viewer, with an arm extended toward a small cat that gazes upward. The sparse setting—a darkened room with a single window—suggests confinement and melancholy, while the animal’s attentive posture introduces a subtle note of companionship amid the prevailing sense of desolation.

Technique & Style

Besnard employed a layered printmaking process: the primary image is rendered in etched lines, while aquatint provides broad, velvety shadows, and dry‑point adds fine, velvety edges. The printed tone unifies the surface, creating a uniform dark field that enhances the texture of the rough bedsheets and the cat’s fur. The interplay of line and tone yields a nuanced chiaroscuro that emphasizes the scene’s somber mood.

History & Provenance

Created in the mid‑1880s, Misery reflects Besnard’s early engagement with print media before his later prominence as a painter. The piece was produced on laid Van Gelder paper, a material favored by French printmakers of the period for its durability and fine grain. Documentation of its ownership trail is limited, but the work has appeared in several exhibitions of 19th‑century French prints, underscoring its relevance to the era’s graphic arts.