Artwork
Tragedy foretold
Tragedy foretold is an oil painting by Unknown. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the National Library of Wales.
About this work
Overview
The oil painting titled “Tragedy foretold” portrays two figures positioned before a dark backdrop. An elderly man with a long white beard sits at a table, clothed in a red robe, while a younger man in a green robe stands behind him, his hand raised in a gesture that suggests alarm or warning.
Subject & Meaning
The composition suggests a moment of impending disaster, as implied by the title. The younger figure’s raised hand appears to caution the elder, creating a narrative tension that hints at a foreboding event about to unfold.
Technique & Style
The work employs chiaroscuro, contrasting bright illumination on the figures with a deep, shadowed background. This stark light‑dark interplay heightens the drama and emphasizes the emotional intensity of the scene.
Context
Set against a somber, unadorned background, the painting focuses attention on the interaction between the two men, using colour—red and green robes—to differentiate their roles and accentuate the narrative tension.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Jesús en el pretorio
The Sacrifice of Isaac
Christ and the Woman Cught in Adultery with Pharisees
Peasants in an Inn
San Agustín recibe a Cristo peregrino
Mag îngenuncheat
Scene in an interior
Baptism of King Chlodwig I (ca. 466–511)
Scenă biblică
Paulus in Athen
Pashur smiting Jeremiah in the Temple
Heilige Petrus in gebed