The Funeral of Atala
European Art
The Funeral of Atala
Artwork Details
Artist/Maker
Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson
French, 1767–1824
French, 1767–1824
Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson
French, 1767–1824
French, 1767–1824
Date
ca. 1811
Medium
Oil on canvas
Accession #
1990.1
Dimensions
35 x 46 3/8 inches
Location
On View - Stent Family Wing, Level 2, Gallery 205
Description
Girodet based this painting on a popular French novel by Chateaubriand that loosely retells the story of Romeo and Juliet in a New World setting. Here we see Chactas, a Natchez Indian, mourning his beloved Atala, a half Native American, half European maiden, who has committed suicide to keep from breaking the vow of chastity she had made to her dying mother. A larger version of this painting created a popular sensation when it was exhibited in Paris in 1811.
Credit
Purchase with funds from the Forward Arts FoundationCheck This Out
-
A Child’s Grave, Hale County, Alabama,
A Child’s Grave, Hale County, Alabama
-
Bear Bull–Blackfoot,
Bear Bull–Blackfoot
-
Coat of Arms with a Skull,
Coat of Arms with a Skull
-
Safe Return,
Safe Return