Soft melancholy

the soft melancholy is a neo-classic table, paints by Joseph-Marie Vien.

The role of the decoration

The decoration plays a paramount role in this table; it is the reflection of a cultural plurality, of a mixture of kinds. One observes in this painting an environment which seems predestined with the universe of the meditation. Indeed one notes the presence of complex forms in the table in particular on the carpet, where one distinguishes from the interlaced reasons and the Eastern colors, favourable with the meditation. With the left of the character, one notices a Encensoir releasing from fume volutes of scent. Manner pointing out the Pythea of ancient Greece, which transmitted predict them divine. This whole of symbols camps a decoration which encourages with the meditation. J-M. Vien is in love with the Antique art, for this reason the background consists of a wall, engraved in semi-relief in the shape of colonnades.

The concern of the detail

Thus, it is necessary to stress the importance lent to the details, behind the apparent simplicity of the table.

This taste for the detail is reflected, not only by the representation of objects re-examining with the cultures Greek and Eastern but also by the presence of details, although of tiny size, whose importance is not negligible. On the wood table carved, a book still opened is deposited, letting suppose its consultation feels, undoubtedly by the young girl who sat on the red velvet armchair. This one is vêtue of a long dress, pointing out the toga Roman or Greek, of silk color gold (symbol of the richness and the power) a belt chestnut underlines a delicate size, and a kind of long shawl blue azure, him also of a silky aspect, avoids this at the same time neat and elegant woman (with the image of kings de France). On the table bordering it, a bouquet of flower is posed in opposition with the book, illustrating the field of the reason, perhaps even of the dream. The presence of these flowers adds to the representation of a rich interior, an additional dimension, evoking the purity, the naturalness and the care of the young girl through the attention which it lent to the flowers. This analogy between the man and nature is also located by the tenderness carried to the pigeon which the young girl carries on her knees: the man and nature are in perfect harmony, in perfect agreement, almost on an equal footing. Finally, this taste of the detail is the expression of the concern of the painter for the beautiful one, in particular by the representation of a nature in agreement with the man.

Clearly-obscure and perpectives

Theobscure one and the situation of the character in the table emphasizes the meditation of the woman.

The bottom of the table is a wall carved in a rather ancient style (Greek or Roman) because one distinguishes a column. half-compartment in skew by obscuritée. This darkness is curiously present in the content of the table but not in the foreground.

Sensitivity of the melancholy to the XVIIIe century

The sensitivity of century is defined partly by " evil of the siècle" i.e. “spleen” as Denis Diderot in one of his letter develops it in Sophie Volland (1760) In this table, first of all one notices the body position of the woman who is off-hand (almost softened) however this position of maintains can also be perceived as a position of meditation (cf: paintings of the ancient thinkers). In this case of figure it is agirrait of an even sought wrongfully neglected position, because this position of the body is often used to represent the questioning (see the questioning), or the reflection by the external presence of information of reflection (the book). this melancholy is well perceived thus like the evil of the century; in the search of new information, discoveries, here the century of the lights carried out by several revolutionary philosophers for their time (Diderot, Rousseau, Of alembert,…).

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