Sadness (from "Heads Representing the Various Passions of the Soul; as they are Expressed in the Human Countenance: Drawn by that Great Master Monsieur Le Brun")

Art Historical Context

This engraving captures the essence of profound melancholy through the downturned gaze and softened features of a woman’s face, part of a celebrated 18th-century series titled *Heads Representing the Various Passions of the Soul*. Originally conceived by the renowned French artist Charles Le Brun in the 1660s, the series explored how facial expressions reveal inner emotions—a concept that influenced painters, actors, and scholars across Europe for generations. Published in London in 1765 by Robert Sayer, this print was created using engraving and etching techniques, allowing fine details of the brow and mouth to be reproduced for wide distribution. Le Brun’s studies served as practical guides for artists seeking to depict authentic human feeling, bridging scientific observation with artistic expression during the Enlightenment. Today housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of prints and drawings, the work reminds viewers of the enduring fascination with the language of the face. Its careful reproduction of Le Brun’s original drawing highlights how emotion, rendered with sensitivity and precision, continues to resonate across centuries.

About the Artist

Charles Le Brun|Robert Sayer|Anonymous, British, 18th century · 1619–1690

Charles Le Brun (1619–1690) was the most powerful artistic figure in seventeenth-century France, serving as the virtual dictator of official taste during the reign of Louis XIV and shaping the visual identity of the French Baroque in ways that resonated for generations. Born in Paris, he trained under the painter Simon Vouet before traveling to Rome in 1642, where he studied the works of Nicolas P...