Semiramide - Henri Fantin-Latour
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
Secure checkout
Made to order
Description
A delicate lithograph by Henri Fantin-Latour, inspired by Rossini's opera, capturing a mythological scene with atmospheric light and shadow.
This lithograph by Henri Fantin-Latour depicts the legendary Queen Semiramis, a subject drawn from the operatic tradition, specifically the work of Gioachino Rossini. The artist, known for his technical mastery of the lithographic medium, employs a soft, atmospheric application of ink to create a dreamlike quality. The composition features the central figure of the queen, standing in a state of quiet contemplation, flanked by attendants who assist with her toilette. The scene is rendered with a focus on light and shadow, where the figures emerge from a hazy, indistinct background.
Fantin-Latour was deeply interested in the intersection of music and visual art, often creating works inspired by the compositions of Wagner, Berlioz, and Rossini. The inclusion of a musical stave at the top of the print, featuring a melody from Rossini's opera, confirms this thematic connection. The print demonstrates the artist's ability to translate the emotional weight of musical scores into a visual language of texture and tone. The figures are not defined by rigid outlines, but rather by the accumulation of delicate marks that suggest form and volume through subtle gradations of grey and black.
This specific impression includes a dedication, reflecting the artist's engagement with the cultural circles of late nineteenth-century France. The work captures the Symbolist interest in myth, memory, and the evocative power of the unseen. By choosing a subject from classical antiquity, Fantin-Latour explores themes of majesty and domesticity, filtered through a lens of romantic idealism. The print serves as an example of the artist's late-career focus on lithography, a medium he used to explore the boundaries between reality and imagination, providing a glimpse into the aesthetic concerns of the period.
Return policy
Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Semiramide - Henri Fantin-Latour
Artist Biography
Henri Fantin Latour
His flower paintings are the opposite. They are quiet, domestic, technically precise, and painted without any obvious agenda. Roses in a glass bowl. Peonies on a table. He exhibited them in England, where they sold steadily to collectors who had no interest in Parisian literary politics. In France, during his lifetime, the flowers were practically unknown. The irony is that they are what most people now associate with his name.
He trained under Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran, an unorthodox teacher who had his students draw from memory rather than from the model. His classmates at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts included Degas and Alphonse Legros. He was friends with Manet, Whistler, Morisot and most of the painters who became the Impressionists, but his own style remained conservative: careful drawing, smooth finish, traditional composition. He stood at the centre of the avant-garde and painted like an old master, which is an unusual position to occupy for forty years.
He was also a member of the Jinglar Society, a nine-person dining club devoted to Japanese art and ceramics, which met to eat food off Japanese plates.
Why Choose Us ?
Damage-free delivery guarantee
Fast Shipping
Museum-Quality Materials
You May Also Like