Artwork
La Comédie de l'amour
La Comédie de l'amour is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Ernest La Jeunesse. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Ernest La Jeunesse’s 1897 lithograph titled *La Comédie de l’Amour* presents a compact tableau of four male figures arranged in a horizontal line. Rendered in a limited palette of green‑black on wove paper, the image combines bold contour work with a sketch‑like vitality, inviting the viewer to contemplate a theatrical or social scene suggested by the title.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a sequence of characters: a smiling bespectacled man, a stern figure leaning on a cane, a bored individual smoking a cigarette, and a fourth person caught mid‑gesture with a raised hand. The contrast among expressions and postures hints at a satirical commentary on the varied roles and affectations within romantic encounters, aligning with the notion of love as a performative comedy.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithographic proof before the addition of lettering, the work employs the traditional stone‑based process, allowing La Jeunesse to manipulate line density and tonal variation directly with greasy media. The green‑black ink on the smooth wove paper yields a matte finish, while the pronounced, irregular lines convey a spontaneous, almost caricatural quality that underscores the piece’s humorous intent.
History & Provenance
Created in 1897, this print forms part of La Jeunesse’s output during the late nineteenth‑century French poster movement, a period when lithography served both commercial and artistic purposes. The surviving proof, identifiable by the absence of the final typographic elements along the lower right and right margin, reflects an early stage of production, offering insight into the artist’s workflow prior to the work’s public release.
Artist & collection
