Melancholia
Domenico Fetti (Italian, c. 1589–1623)
c. 1615
View the original$24
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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.
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
In this elaborate allegory of the universal human emotion of melancholy, the paintbrushes, palette, and small sculpture in the bottom right reference the painter’s profession; and the hourglass, book, and compass represent other worldly pursuits. Domenico Fetti also included an armillary sphere and telescope in the background on the left to reflect the scientific interests of his patron Ferdinando Gonzaga’s court in Mantua. These interests are further exemplified by the large, bluish sphere in the foreground illustrating the topography of the moon as had been observed only recently by Galileo. Yet despite the achievements signified by the earthly objects whose value is fleeting, the figure of Melancholia contemplates a skull and the inevitability of death.
- Artist
- Domenico Fetti
- Date
- c. 1615
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Origin
- Italy
- Style
- 17th Century
- Collection
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
- Reference
- 2019.722 · Art Institute of Chicago