Le Découragement de l’artiste 1895

Henri Fantin-Latour's 1895 charcoal drawing "Le Découragement de l’artiste" depicts a dejected artist slumped in his chair, his face obscured by his hand. A blank canvas on an easel stands before him, symbolizing his creative block. The shadowy presence of an angel holding a laurel wreath, a symbol of artistic recognition, and a figure with a palette and brushes, representing artistic inspiration, hover above him, highlighting his despair. The artist's isolation and the stark contrast between the blank canvas and the figures above him captures the feeling of creative stagnation. This piece embodies the struggles of artistic creation.