Marcellin Desboutin (1823-1902), Paolo and Francesca, 1859

Oil on canvas, 81 × 101 cm. Monogrammed on the stone: MD ? 1859

The work depicts a messenger presenting a letter and a ring to a young blonde woman who, distraught, turns her gaze away. The background is dominated by lush vegetation, notably vines, which are traditionally associated with abundance and passion.

This poignant moment, where romanticism blends with dramatic action, reflects Marcellin Desboutin’s interest in the poetic themes of the Italian Renaissance—particularly the story of Paolo and Francesca made famous by the Florentine poet Dante Alighieri in Canto V of the Inferno. The scene captures the instant when Paolo delivers to Francesca a letter and a wedding ring on behalf of her brother Giovanni. Loving only Paolo, Francesca’s posture betrays her inner conflict, marked by rejection and sorrow.

The painting belongs to the artist’s Florentine period, during which he lived at the Villa Ombrellino, a large country estate near Florence. The composition’s style—with its careful attention to faces, gestures, and the drapery of the garments—reveals a classical influence, while also embracing a romantic sensibility. The rendering of the sky and the folds of the fabric places the canvas within the coloristic legacy of Venetian masters such as Veronese and Titian.

Marcellin Desboutin was born in Cérilly (Allier) on August 26, 1823. A former pupil of Thomas Couture, he devoted much of his work to Italy and is also recognized as a writer and poet. In the field of printmaking, he was one of the promoters of drypoint engraving and earned a deserved reputation by producing portraits of his most famous contemporaries. He was awarded a third-class medal at the Salon of 1879 and a silver medal at the Salon of 1889.

Desboutin was also a central figure in the Impressionist circle. A friend of Manet and Degas, he took part in the group’s second exhibition in 1876. Immortalized by Degas in L’Absinthe (1875), now in the Musée d’Orsay, he himself embodied the intersection between tradition and modernity. Decorated with the Legion of Honour in 1895, he continued to innovate throughout his career, signing his works with a distinctive monogram combining an “M” and a “D,” which can be seen at the lower left of our painting.