Artwork
The Quartette (Un quatuor)
The Quartette (Un quatuor) is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist William Turner Dannat. It dates from 1892 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
William Turner Dannat's 1892 oil painting, The Quartette (Un quatuor), presents a scene of three individuals within a dimly lit, confined interior.
William Turner Dannat's 1892 oil painting, The Quartette (Un quatuor), presents a scene of three individuals within a dimly lit, confined interior. This work, held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, captures a moment of shared focus or reaction among the figures, whose expressions and postures suggest an engagement with an unseen element. The composition emphasizes the interplay of light and shadow, defining the space and its inhabitants.
Subject & Meaning
The painting features three figures arranged in a close grouping. On the left, a person in a loose white shirt holds a stick and looks upward with an open mouth, suggesting vocalization or strong emotion. A seated woman in a dark dress and hat occupies the center, her hands folded. Behind them, a man in a dark coat leans forward, also gazing upward, implying a collective response to an event or sound beyond the viewer's sight.
Technique & Style
Dannat employs a dramatic use of chiaroscuro, creating stark contrasts between light and shadow to shape the composition. The interior is rendered with rough wooden walls and a visible staircase, contributing to a sense of a cramped, shadowy environment. Uneven illumination leaves some areas almost entirely dark, while others are selectively brightened, causing the figures to emerge with heightened intensity from the surrounding gloom.
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Artist & collection
Artist
William Turner Dannat was an American artist known especially for paintings of Spanish subject matter.
