Public data from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Learn more
The Lovers
by James Tissot
About the Artwork
James Tissot lived in London in 1871–82 where he established a reputation as painter of elegantly dressed women in modern, fashionable settings. This painting, made at the beginning of his London period, was designed to appeal to Victorian audiences who enjoyed art that hinted at narrative. Here, a young couple enters an upholstered interior, leaving a sunlit garden. The woman’s gesture suggests contemplation; might she be considering a proposal made by the man who follows closely behind her? Their exchange, ultimately, remains mysterious.
Provenance
[Brodney Gallery, Boston, early 1950s] Ralph and Terry Kovel, Cleveland, OH The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, acquired 2022
Quick Overview
- Artist
- James Tissot (French, 1836–1902)
- Date
- 1872
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Unframed: 101 x 61.5 cm (39 3/4 x 24 3/16 in.)
- Type
- Painting
- Classification
- Painting
- Department
- Modern European Painting and Sculpture
- Credit line
- Partial gift from Ralph and Terry Kovel and Family, and partial purchase from the John L. Severance Fund
- Accession no.
- 2022.140
More by James Tissot in museum collections
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Open-access museum record · AT-00009543
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