Chapter 5 | WORKS OF ART

Artists often demonstrate their mastery in drapery. One example is the wonderful painting “Melancholy” by the Italian painter Francesco Hayez (1791-1882). You would have to stand before the full-size painting (136 x 68.4 cm) in the Pinancoteca Brera in Milan to admire the virtuoso drape and texture of the satin fabric. Despite the stunning decoration and the flowers, this beautiful young woman still looks a little dejected. Why?

In fact this young medieval woman, overcome with love, represents Melancholy, a rather pensive state of mind. It is not without reason that Melancholy is also the title of the painting. The flowers beside her are already beginning to fade. Most likely she’s thinking of the person who gave her the flowers. She keeps her head slightly bowed, staring at an infinitely distant point and seems indifferent to her surroundings. Her dress slips off one shoulder, revealing part of her breast. The painting as a whole is a crystal clear composition and yet every detail is painted with the utmost care from nature.