I came across this glum-looking pair in a quiet corner of the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. Clearly the sparkle has faded from their relationship, probably a long time ago. Conversation a distant memory.
Small wonder with her in mournful Victorian crinolines and him brazenly kitted out in his birthday suit. They’re not, to put it mildly, an obvious match.
I love this curious juxtaposition of two very different works. The sculpture by Jean-Joseph Perraud is aptly titled Le Desespoir – The Despair – while the painting is La Vicomtesse by Gustave Ricard – both 19th century artists.