Ah – [sigh] – the pain of heartbreak. It’s something we are all, unfortunately, familiar with.
Whether it’s the ache of unspoken words, the sting of betrayal, the slow unravelling of a bond, or the cruel hand of circumstance tearing us apart, heartbreak is a universal thread woven into the fabric of human experience.
And where words fail, art speaks.
Throughout history, artists have captured the agony of lost love and romantic tragedy, turning heartbreak into visual poetry. These works serve as emotional touchstones, connecting us with the universal pain of heartbreak across different times and cultures.
Here are five artistic masterpieces that explore the raw, tragic beauty of heartbreak.
Ghismunda, by Bernardino Mei, c. 1650, Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena
A distraught and tearful woman clutches a human heart in her right hand. This painting by Bernardino Mei depicts the tragic tale of Ghismunda, from Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron.
Ghismunda, forbidden by her father, Prince Tancred of Salerno, to remarry after her husband's death, falls in love with one of his court servants, a man named Guiscardo. When Prince Tancred discovers their love, he has Guiscardo killed and his heart delivered to Ghismunda in a golden cup.
Overcome with grief and rage, Ghismunda kisses the heart, adds poison to the cup, and drinks from it to end her life. Mei renders her with striking passion and emotional intensity. Her red-rimmed eyes, flushed cheeks, contorted brow, and the fierce grip on the heart express both immense heartbreak and all-consuming fury.
Hyacinth Turned into a Flower, by Nicolas-René Jollain, c. 1768, Château de Versailles, Versailles
Apollo weeps beside his lover’s corpse.
The myth of Apollo and Hyacinth, as told in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, recounts how Apollo, deeply in love with the mortal youth Hyacinth, unintentionally causes his death. During a discus-throwing contest, Apollo throws the discus high into the air. Eager to impress, Hyacinth tries to catch it, but the discus strikes him fatally.
To honour his lover, Apollo transforms Hyacinth’s spilled blood into flowers.
This painting by Nicolas-René Jollain depicts the heartbreaking aftermath. Hyacinth’s limp body rests against Apollo’s thigh, his lifeless head cradled in Apollo’s arm. On either side, flowers sprout from the spilled blood. Apollo shields his eyes with one hand, consumed by heartbreak and guilt. The composition captures the emotional chasm between life and death, emphasized by the figures’ extended limbs stretching in opposing directions.
These paintings, and many more, are featured in my new book ‘Love, Heartbreak, & Tragedy in Art.’ It contains a personally curated selection of artworks, from between the 17th and 19th centuries, that are united by the theme of heartbreak and tragedy.
Biblis, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1884, Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad
In Bouguereau’s painting, Biblis collapses under the weight of heartbreak.
Recounted in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Biblis develops forbidden feelings for her twin brother, Caunus, and confesses them in a letter. Horrified, Caunus flees, and Biblis, overwhelmed by rejection, pursues him until she collapses from exhaustion and despair. Her relentless tears lead the gods to transform her into a fountain.
Bouguereau conveys Biblis’s vulnerability through her clasped hands, slumped neck, and bowed head, evoking defeat and sorrow. This painting portrays a woman who risked everything for her passion, despite knowing she had everything to lose.
A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew’s Day, by Sir John Everett Millais, 1852, Private Collection
This painting by Sir John Everett Millais captures a moment of deep emotional and historical significance.
Two young lovers embrace, but the details reveal a profound narrative of faith, sacrifice, and survival. The painting refers to the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, during which thousands of French Protestants, known as Huguenots, were killed by Roman Catholics. Some Huguenots escaped by wearing white armbands to signify loyalty to Catholicism.
In this scene, a woman desperately tries to fasten an armband onto her lover to save his life. However, he gently resists, determined to remain true to his faith despite the risk.
Their intertwined bodies convey both connection and tension. The woman’s expression reveals fear and grief, while the man’s tender smile reflects love and steadfast resolve. This artwork poignantly explores the emotional toll of loyalty, love, and conviction.
The Coronation of Inês de Castro in 1361, by Pierre-Charles Comte, c. 1849, Museum of Fine Arts, Lyon
This painting by Pierre-Charles Comte tells the macabre tale of Portugal’s posthumous queen, Inês de Castro.
Inês, the lover of Prince Pedro I, is murdered by his father, King Afonso IV. After Afonso’s death, Pedro ascends the throne and vows revenge. First, he reveals his secret marriage to Inês and declares her queen, even in death. Next, he hunts down her assassins and exacts gruesome vengeance. Then, six years after her death, Pedro allegedly exhumes Inês’s body, dresses her in coronation robes, places her on a throne, and forces the court to swear allegiance to her.
In Comte’s painting, Inês’s decomposing corpse sits heavily on the throne. At her feet, a kneeling courtier kisses her hand under Pedro’s watchful gaze. The surrounding courtiers look on in shock and fear, more terrified of their love-driven king than of the lifeless queen.
While Fernão Lopes’s Chronicle of King Pedro of Portugal (c. 1440) presents a more realistic account, this story has been reshaped and dramatized over time.
To delve deeper into these paintings and more, check out my new book Love, Heartbreak, & Tragedy in Art, featuring a curated selection of artworks exploring heartbreak and tragedy from the 17th to 19th centuries.
Bibliography:
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