Love's Melancholy
Constant Mayer (American, born France, 1832–1911)
1866
View the original$19
Type
Size · in
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Materials & printing
Archival matte paper, 189 g/m² (10.3 mil), sourced from Japan, printed with multicolor water-based inkjet so every brushstroke stays crisp. Framed prints arrive ready to hang in a .75″ ayous-wood frame with an acrylite front. Sized to standard frames by cropping, never stretching — at most about 3% comes off one edge, which isn’t noticeable on most pieces, and we only offer a size when it stays that small.
Shipping & returns
Made to order and delivered in 5–8 business days (2–4 to print, 3–4 in transit). US shipping only for now. Because each print is made for your order, all sales are final — but if it arrives damaged or defective, send us a photo within 14 days and we’ll replace it free. Full policy.
Why is it this affordable?
A thin, flat margin on every piece — just enough to keep the store running. Most of what you pay is the print itself. We only sell sizes that reproduce at full quality, and we don’t mark up the large sizes the way most shops do.
About this work
Constant Mayer specialized in sentimental scenes of everyday life yet he also displayed a fidelity to nature that harmonized with the detailed landscapes painted by contemporary artists known as the Pre-Raphaelites. The young woman’s black dress, solemn disposition, and wedding ring signal a state of mourning. A church steeple in the background symbolizes her faith and purity, while the vegetation and stonework in the foreground suggest that she stands near her loved one’s grave. The golden lighting, low vantage point, and the figure’s windblown hair contribute to the air of introspection. Executed just after the Civil War, Love’s Melancholy resonated with the American public, who likely came to know the painting through a color reproduction that was produced and distributed by 1869.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Original size
- 51.4 × 35.6 cm (20 1/4 × 14 in.)
Museum record · 4 owners · 1 exhibition
Provenance
- The artist, New York.
- S. M. Schafer, by 1876.
- Private collection, Long Island.
- D. Wigmore Fine Art, New York, by 1994; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1994.
Exhibitions
- Philadelphia, Memorial Hall and Art Annex, Centennial International Exhibition, May 10–Nov. 10, 1876 (organized by United States Centennial Commission, Philadelphia).
