Artwork
Requiescat
Requiescat is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Briton Rivière. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
About this work
Overview
Requiescat is an 1888 oil on canvas painting by Briton Rivière, a British artist. It presents a somber scene of mourning and remembrance.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a deceased armored knight on a bed, with a dog sitting beside him. The title, Requiescat, a prayer for the dead, suggests the dog is keeping vigil, its gaze directed at the knight's face, now obscured by a wreath.
Technique & Style
Rivière employed chiaroscuro, using strong contrast between light and dark, to highlight the knight and dog against a dark background. The knight's silver armor and the blue cloth with gold embroidery are rendered in detail, while the dog's warm brown fur is subtly textured.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Briton Rivière (14 August 1840 – 20 April 1920) was a British artist of Huguenot descent. He exhibited a variety of paintings at the Royal Academy, but devoted much of his life to animal paintings.
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