The Thorny Path. Thomas Couture
The painting is a satire of decadent French society, and depicts a bare-breasted courtesan driving a carriage pulled by (from left to right) a naked elderly man representing over-indulgence; a troubadour representing youthful love; a young student who is writing, representing the educated nobility insensible to daily life's realities, and an old soldier filled with regret. The old woman sitting at the back of the carriage may symbolize the courtesan's future, while the thorny plants along the road indicate the difficulty of their journey. (See the reference below.)
1873
oil on canvas.
51.5 × 75 in (130.8 × 190.5 cm).
Philadephia Museum of Art
Gallery 151, European Art 1850–1900.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Accession number
EW1986-10-1.
Object history
1986: Acquired using the W.P. Wilstach Fund, George W. Elkins Fund and Edith H. Bell Fund.
Inscriptions Artist's initials appear on the stone bust, centre background.
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