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Notes

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This is one of the first works James Tissot painted after his arrival in London in 1871, and one of several in which he treated the theme of parting. It has been suggested that such subjects were provoked by Tissot's sudden departure from his native Paris and his sense of displacement in London, although clearly he was also responding to the English taste for narrative. The reluctantly parting couple are divided by a fence that symbolises their imminent separation. The scissors which dangle from the lady's waist also allude to their division. The image became famous through an engraving by Joel Ballin (1822–1885) published in 1873.

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Bristol

Title

Les Adieux: The Farewells

Date

1871

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 100.3 x W 62.5 cm

Accession number

K2432

Acquisition method

purchased, 1955

Work type

Painting

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Queens Road, Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RL England

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Artist or maker

James Tissot

1836–1902

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