Capital punishment 1908

"Capital Punishment" by Émile Friant (1908) depicts a poignant scene of a condemned man being led to his execution by guillotine. A priest, holding a crucifix, offers a final moment of comfort and prayer to the condemned man. The painting uses dramatic lighting and a stark, somber color palette to evoke the gravity and solemnity of the event. The guillotine stands imposingly in the background, a symbol of the state's power and the finality of the condemned man's fate. Friant's work reflects the social and political anxieties of his time, exploring themes of justice, mercy, and the human condition.