Sorrow 1898

"Sorrow," painted in 1898 by Émile Friant, is a poignant depiction of grief at a funeral. The composition centers on a group of mourners, dressed in somber black, gathered at a gravesite. The figures, shrouded in darkness, are dwarfed by the expansive, earthy landscape, emphasizing the weight of their sorrow. The scene's subdued colors, with a hint of warmth in the earth tones, contribute to the melancholic atmosphere. This powerful realist artwork, currently housed in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nancy, France, captures the universal human experience of loss and its profound impact on the individual.