Émile Friant
Émile Friant was a French Realist painter. Today, his work invites you to an intimate scene. In the foreground, two figures are conversing, leaning on a metal parapet above a river or canal. They belong to the working class. The man, positioned centrally and dressed in a gray coat, leans to the right, holding a cigarette and looking intensely toward a young woman. She, on the right side of the painting, wears a black dress and appears to be listening, her head resting on her hand. Their gazes do not seem to meet. The background, blurred and almost impressionistic, features a river and the sky reflected in it to the left, and on the right, a landscape of trees ranging in color from reddish-orange to soft green and blue as the scene recedes.
Maybe the painting, set above the Meurthe River in Nancy, seems to depict close friends from another time. Or, maybe that's a breakup scene? Or maybe it is just the beginning of a love affair?
What do you think about this painting?
Have a calm Saturday, everyone!
P.S. Do you know the love stories of famous artists? Take our art couples QUIZ and meet some of the most famous artistic relationships. Here are the 10 most romantic artworks about love!