Artwork
Our Souls, in Languorous Gestures
Our Souls, in Languorous Gestures is a print by the Impressionist artist Maurice Denis. It dates from 1898 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
A woman plays a piano in a sunlit room. Pink roses sit on the piano. A ruffled lampshade glows behind her.
This is a lithograph from Denis’s 1899 series *Love*. It shows women making music at home, not in concert halls. That mattered in 1898—music at home was “amateur,” done by women behind closed doors.
Try looking up Maurice Denis (French, 1870–1943) next.
Overview
Our Souls, in Languorous Gestures is a color lithograph from Maurice Denis's 1899 series Love, depicting a woman playing piano in a serene, sunlit domestic setting.
Subject & Meaning
The piece highlights the 19th-century societal norm of women's musical pursuits being confined to the home, relegated to amateur status, performed for private audiences rather than public or professional engagement.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the work features characteristic Symbolist elements, including the dreamy, interior atmosphere, and symbolic objects such as pink roses and ornate patterns (arabesques on the piano shawl, ruffled lampshade).
History & Provenance
Created in 1899 as part of Denis's portfolio of 12 color lithographs titled Love, the work reflects the artist's exploration of feminine domesticity and intimacy.
Context
Reflecting late 19th-century gender norms, the piece contrasts the private, amateur musical pursuits of women with the public, professional concert sphere, predominantly male-dominated at the time.
Legacy
As part of Maurice Denis's notable Love series, Our Souls, in Languorous Gestures contributes to the artist's legacy in Symbolism, offering a nuanced glimpse into the era's social dynamics and the domestic feminine experience.
Artist & collection
Artist
Maurice Denis (French: ; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer.
