Xavier Mellery

Responsible for compositions that suggest introspection, silence and spirituality, the Belgian artist Xavier Mellery (1845–1921) was a member of the Les XX group and became an important exponent of Symbolism. He trained at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and then in Rome, after winning first prize in the Prix de l’Académie d’Anvers. He developed an oeuvre that features interiors immersed in semi-darkness, where the viewer is confronted with a form of physical and meditative isolation.

With his drawings on paper, such as The Bedroom (Brussels, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, inv. 4454) and the present charcoal sketch Cat in the Lamplight, he draws us into an intimate and austere atmosphere, evoking reflection and silence. Here, the cat is dozing in the light of a lamp in the foreground, while a barely visible figure in the shadows is bent over a task or a game of cards. Thus does Mellery lure us into an atmosphere of expectation and contemplation.