PenelopeCharles François Marchal · 1868
Realism
1868
111.0 x 50.0 cm
Charles François Marchal (1818 – 1893)
Discover Charles François Marchal's elegant 19th-century paintings! Explore his refined landscapes & wildlife art, inspired by French Impressionism. #art #frenchartist
This painting and its pendant, Phryne (location unknown), were an immediate success at the Salon of 1868. They are typical of the scenes of fashionable life in Paris that Marchal painted in the decade prior to his suicide.Penelope is not represented as the legendary wife of Odysseus but as a contemporary woman, dutifully engaged in needlework as she dreams about her husband, portrayed in the miniature before her. By contrast, Phryne was intended as an analogy to the classical Athenian courtesan of the same name. Marchal depicted her in an evening dress, glancing provocatively into her mirror as she completes her toilette.
About this artwork
- Title: Penelope
- Artist: Charles François Marchal
- Year: 1868
- Original dimensions: 111.0 x 50.0 cm
- Format: Tall
- Copyright status: Public domain
- Movement: Realism
- Inventory number: 17.138.2
- Main color: Gray
- Keywords: 19th century art, miniature subject, oil on canvas
Questions & Answers
What color intensity does "Penelope" by Charles François Marchal have?
"Penelope" by Charles François Marchal shows a monochromatic color intensity.
Are the colors of "Penelope" by Charles François Marchal saturated or muted?
The palette of "Penelope" is muted in saturation.
What does "Penelope" share with the rest of Charles François Marchal's output?
Within Charles François Marchal's output, "Penelope" sits in the Realism style, alongside the themes of pendant to 'phryne', reflects marchal's focus on fashionable, academic realism, french portraiture, classical composition, 19th century parisian society, domesticity, female roles.