Artwork
Il Penseroso
Il Penseroso is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist Charles West Cope. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Il Penseroso is an oil painting by Charles West Cope, created as an illustration to John Milton's 1632 poem of the same name.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a contemplative young man sitting on a stone bench, lost in thought under the glow of moonlight. It reflects the poem's invocation to the goddess Melancholy, seeking a life of quiet study and meditation.
Technique & Style
The work showcases Cope's skill in capturing mood and atmosphere, with deep shadows and the soft illumination of the subject's face by moonlight, characteristic of his literary and often sentimental approach to oil painting.
History & Provenance
Charles West Cope was a prolific artist who exhibited 134 works at the Royal Academy and was later appointed examiner in painting at the South Kensington Schools of Art. The painting is part of a collection that includes works given by John Sheepshanks to the museum.
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Artist & collection
Artist
English painter Charles West Cope made quiet, tender scenes of family life and scenes from John Milton’s poems in the 1840s.
Love's Melancholy
Il penseroso
Margaret at the Church
Prayer
Magdalena
Doña Blanca de Navarra
Meditation: A Lady Looking out of a Window
Trust: A female figure leaning on a rock
Comminges and Adelaide in the Trappist Monastery
Valentine of Milan Mourning her Husband, the Duke of Orléans
Valentine de Milan
Love's Melancholy