Early 19th - French Sentimental Engraving - Village Cemetery Scene - Historical Illustration of Love and Family Mourning

This antique print, identified as an engraving, captures a poignant scene titled 'Le Cimetière de Village' (The Village Cemetery). It depicts three figures—two men and a woman—standing somberly around a gravestone within a lush, tree-filled cemetery. The central male figure gestures towards the tomb with a sorrowful expression, while the other man and woman stand close by, their gazes also fixed on the grave. The woman gently places her hand on the second man's arm, conveying shared grief.

The intricate details of the period clothing, from the men's tailcoats and cravats to the woman's empire-waist dress, suggest the artistic style of the Early 19th century. The scene evokes a deep sense of reflection and remembrance, characteristic of the Romantic era's emphasis on emotion and human experience. Below the main image, the caption 'une de nous est tombée là' (one of us fell there) underscores the personal loss depicted.

This engraving was designed by Charles Abraham Chasselat (1782–1843), a talented French painter and illustrator active during the early 19th century. It was engraved by one or more anonymous engravers working in Paris and published around 1815–1820, during the late Empire or early Restoration period. Prints of this type typically appeared in refined illustrated books such as Scènes de la vie domestique, Scènes intéressantes de la vie privée, or Contes moraux illustrés — popular collections that combined moral storytelling with delicate visual interpretation. These works reflected the sentimental and didactic spirit of the time, portraying scenes of virtue, affection, and everyday emotion within elegant bourgeois or domestic settings.