Absinthe Drinkers Analysis

The Absinthe Drinkers is an impressionist piece by J.F. Raffaelli in 1881. Raffaelli chose to create this using oil on canvas. I think this was a great choice because with the use of harsh brush strokes and lighting the impressionist style really became apparent. Raffaelli really stood out as an artist because of how he executed his contemporary art. Nothing was idealized or made to seem better than it was; he chose topics that were relevant to the times and depicted them in a relatable way. This piece stood out to me because I feel as though even though only two men are being shown, we get an idea of what the entire country was like at that time. We see the struggle and the pain that people were going through as if these men were the face of it all. It really tells a story. …show more content…
They have a hopeless expression on their faces like they are tired and drunk, staring off in opposite directions showing that even though they are physically together, there are still some apparent disjointness between the two that makes it seem like they are still alone even with one another. You can see behind them that even the tree is dying as sort of a representation of the depression being shown here. There is a small home in the background all by itself also showing the loneliness of the piece. The artist used very deep and dark colors to express the melancholy tone of the piece. Even though the background has color and some light, the men are made with little light and very dark colors as the center and focus of the piece. They are two empty seats next to them which must have been included for a reason thus giving a greater sense of loneliness the men