Lost Labor ("Trabajo perdido") 1807 - 1845

"Lost Labor" (Trabajo perdido) is a poignant etching by Spanish artist Leonardo Alenza, created between 1807 and 1845. The artwork depicts a scene of domesticity, with an elderly woman combing the hair of a bald man, emphasizing the fragility of age and the fleeting nature of time. The use of light and shadow, characteristic of Alenza's style, creates a sense of intimacy and melancholy, highlighting the quiet dignity of the subjects. This etching, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, exemplifies Alenza's talent for capturing the emotional nuances of everyday life.