Jalousie 

Eugène Grasset's "Jalousie," presents a stylized female figure set against a backdrop of roses, sky, and distant landscape, all contained within a perfect circle. The use of line, color, and shape creates a harmonious balance that is very pleasing to the eye. Grasset, an important figure in the Art Nouveau movement, employs a sophisticated semiotic system. The yellow roses, a traditional symbol of jealousy, directly inform the portrait's title. The woman's gaze, directed slightly to the side, invites the viewer into a narrative of suspicion. The composition is carefully structured: the circular format and use of color, particularly the contrast between the woman's golden hair and the muted tones of her shawl, serve to intensify the emotional tension. "Jalousie," therefore, can be read as a subtle commentary on the complexities of human emotions. By engaging with this work, we appreciate how art can subtly destabilize established meanings through form.