“Misery”
Today, I am sharing a wonderful artist from South America.
“Misery” or “La Miseria” is an oil on canvas painting by the Venezuelan artist, Cristóbal Rojas, from 1886. During his all too brief life, Rojas became one of Venezuela’s most prominent artists. He was known for being able to paint in a variety of artistic styles, from highly dramatic neoclassical pieces to the impressionist style, with everything in between.
“Misery”, painted in the realism style, depicts a husband sitting next to the bed of his wife. She has recently died of tuberculosis. Rojas shows the man in anger, pain, sadness, and desolation. The husband is devastated, appears numb, and is staring off at the ground. His left hand is laying on the bed beside his dead wife. The rich color of his living skin is striking against the pale and sallow color of his wife. He is in shock.
The state of the room suggests that the couple are poor. The room is simple, with just a few paintings on the wall. The bed has tattered blankets. The wooden floorboards angle up towards the left, drawing the viewer’s eye to the man. This painting may have been inspired by one of Rojas’s neighbors, whose wife died of tuberculosis. Additionally, they could not afford medicine or care. The overall palette of the painting is dark, with sparing areas of light.
Rojas painted this when he was studying art in Paris, France. While living in Venezuela In 1883, he won an art award and received a monetary prize to further his education. In 1884, Rojas traveled to Paris. “Misery” was painted for submission in the prestigious Paris Salon where it received an honorable mention.
During this early period in Paris, many of Rojas’s paintings were social commentaries on the impoverished lives of the people back home. He wanted to show their hardships, to let viewers be aware and share in a small part of their suffering. Being a Venezuelan in Paris, Rojas felt isolated. His family was very important to him, and he was there all alone.
Rojas was very close with his mother and was aspiring to make money to bring her to Paris to join him. When he was 13, his father died, and Cristóbal had to work to help support his mother and family. He still felt that obligation. As he was located an ocean away, he was not able to financially contribute to their well-being. Tragically, Rojas died from tuberculosis himself just four years later. As he fell ill, he traveled back home to spend his last days with his family.
“Misery” or “La Miseria” is currently on display at the Galería de Art Nacional in Caracas, Venezuela.
For more on Cristóbal Rojas, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
