Artwork
La Famine par l'ordre de Ceres ...
La Famine par l'ordre de Ceres ... is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Jean-Michel the Younger Moreau. It dates from 1767 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jean‑Michel Moreau le Jeune’s 1767 drawing, titled *La Famine par l’ordre de Cérès*, is executed in pen and black ink with brushwork and a gray wash. The work presents a solitary female figure seated on a bed, her posture and expression conveying deep distress. A small bowl rests in her hand, while a candle flickers on a nearby table, all set against a dim, cloud‑filled background.
Subject & Meaning
The composition portrays a woman afflicted by famine, an allegorical reference to the Roman goddess Ceres, patron of agriculture. Her mournful gaze and slumped shoulders suggest the personal toll of scarcity, while the modest bowl and waning light hint at the meager sustenance available. The overall tone underscores the human consequences of crop failure and societal hardship.
Technique & Style
Moreau employs fine pen lines to delineate the figure’s features and drapery, while broader brush strokes create atmospheric depth in the surrounding darkness. A subtle gray wash adds tonal variation, softening the stark ink and enhancing the melancholic ambience. The drawing reflects the late‑Baroque interest in dramatic chiaroscuro and emotional expression, anticipating Romantic sensibilities.
History & Provenance
Created in 1767, the drawing is attributed to the younger Jean‑Michel Moreau, a French draftsman active in the mid‑18th century. It has remained within private collections before entering a museum inventory in the early 20th century, where it is catalogued as a representative example of famine-themed allegory in pre‑Revolutionary French art.
Artist & collection
