La Vérité

lucoliviermerson

gouache

painted

possibly oil pastel

underpainting

painterly

mythology

painting painterly

watercolour bleed

chaotic composition

watercolor

unfinished

"La Vérité" by Luc-Oliver Merson is a Symbolist painting depicting a scene of allegorical figures. A nude woman symbolizing Truth sits atop a marble structure while holding a mirror and a cherub. Four men, perhaps representing aspects of knowledge or human nature, contemplate the scene. The lush green landscape creates a sense of contemplation and harmony. Merson's work is characterized by his use of soft, pastel colors and ethereal figures, reflecting the ideals of Symbolism popular in late 19th-century France.