Oil paint on canvas
Social class and social type
Artworks
Walter Richard Sickert
Camden Town Group
Tate Britain
Tate collection highlights
Tate Collection
Works with images
Works on display
General Collection
Contemporary Art Society
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/walter-richard-sickert-1941" aria-label="More by Walter Richard Sickert" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Walter Richard Sickert</a>
Ennui
Presented by the Contemporary Art Society 1924
actions: postures and motions
adults
architecture
boredom
Camden, Granby Terrace, Wellington House School
chest of drawers
cigar
clothing and personal items
decanter
domestic
drink, beer
drinking
eating and drinking
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
England
family
features
fine arts and music
food and drink
furnishings
glass
Hayes, Marie
head in hand / hands
heating and lighting
Hubby
husband
individuals: female
individuals: male
interior - non-specific
interiors
isolation
kitchen
leisure and pastimes
living room
man
mantelpiece
matchbox
named individuals
objects
ornament
people
picture
places
portraits
recreational activities
sitting
smoking
society
standing
studio
taxidermy piece
toys and models
UK countries and regions
UK London
wife
woman
workspaces
<p>The title of this painting means ‘boredom’ in French. Sickert suggests the strained relationship between the figures by their lack of communication. Despite being close together, the man and woman face in opposite directions, staring off into space. They appear almost trapped in their surroundings. The furnishings reinforce the theme, in particular the bell jar containing stuffed birds, suggesting a suffocating environment. Sickert’s works give us no moral or narrative certainty. He leaves it up to us to interpret the image.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2020</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
1 October 2004 – 5 June 2005
2005-06-05
1 October 2004 – 5 December 2004
2004-12-05
2004-10-01
Whitworth Art Gallery (Manchester, UK)
http://www.whitworth.man.ac.uk
20 January 2005 – 20 March 2005
2005-03-20
2005-01-20
Southampton City Art Gallery (Southampton, UK)
http://www.southampton.gov.uk/leisure/arts
7 April 2005 – 5 June 2005
2005-06-05
2005-04-07
Ulster Museum (Belfast, UK)
http://www.ulstermuseum.org.uk
2004-10-01
Walter Sickert: 'drawing is the thing'
Loan-out
6 October 2005 – 14 May 2006
2006-05-14
6 October 2005 – 15 January 2006
2006-01-15
2005-10-06
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
18 February 2006 – 14 May 2006
2006-05-14
2006-02-18
Phillips Collection (Washington, USA)
2005-10-06
Degas, Sickert and Toulouse-Lautrec: London and Paris 1870-1910
Exhibition
13 February 2008 – 4 May 2008
2008-05-04
13 February 2008 – 4 May 2008
2008-05-04
2008-02-13
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2008-02-13
Camden Town Group
Exhibition
15 May 2010 – 31 July 2010
2010-07-31
15 May 2010 – 31 July 2010
2010-07-31
2010-05-15
The Lightbox (Woking, UK)
http://www.thelightbox.org/
2010-05-15
Sickert at the Lightbox
Loan-out
18 November 2011 – 8 May 2012
2012-05-08
18 November 2011 – 8 May 2012
2012-05-08
2011-11-18
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2011-11-18
Camden Town Drawings
Collection based display
12 June 2012 – 28 January 2013
2013-01-28
12 June 2012 – 12 September 2012
2012-09-12
2012-06-12
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza (Madrid, Spain)
5 October 2012 – 28 January 2013
2013-01-28
2012-10-05
Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais (Paris, France)
2012-06-12
Edward Hopper Retrospective
Loan-out
18 September 2021 – 27 February 2022
2022-02-27
18 September 2021 – 27 February 2022
2022-02-27
2021-09-18
Walker Art Gallery (Liverpool, UK)
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
2021-09-18
Walter Sickert
Loan-out
28 April 2022 – 29 January 2023
2023-01-29
28 April 2022 – 18 September 2022
2022-09-18
2022-04-28
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2022-04-28
Walter Sickert
Exhibition
14 October 2022 – 29 January 2023
2023-01-29
14 October 2022 – 29 January 2023
2023-01-29
2022-10-14
Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris (Paris, France)
2022-10-14
Walter Sickert
Loan-out
31 October 2022
8 February 2021
2021-02-08
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2022-10-31
Gallery 5A
Collection based display
Ennui
support: 1524 × 1124 mm
frame: 1741 × 1340 × 110 mm
Presented by the <a href="/search?gid=999999975" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Contemporary Art Society</a> 1924
<div class="text">
<p>The title of this painting means ‘boredom’ in French. Sickert suggests the strained relationship between the figures by their lack of communication. Despite being close together, the man and woman face in opposite directions, staring off into space. They appear almost trapped in their surroundings. The furnishings reinforce the theme, in particular the bell jar containing stuffed birds, suggesting a suffocating environment. Sickert’s works give us no moral or narrative certainty. He leaves it up to us to interpret the image.</p>
</div>

Display caption
2020-08-21T00:00:00
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Catalogue entry
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TURNER_CATALOGUE_TEXT_WORK
actions: postures and motions adults architecture boredom Camden, Granby Terrace, Wellington House School chest of drawers cigar clothing and personal items decanter domestic drink, beer drinking eating and drinking emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas England family features fine arts and music food and drink furnishings glass Hayes, Marie head in hand / hands heating and lighting Hubby husband individuals: female individuals: male interior - non-specific interiors isolation kitchen leisure and pastimes living room man mantelpiece matchbox named individuals objects ornament people picture places portraits recreational activities sitting smoking society standing studio taxidermy piece toys and models UK countries and regions UK London wife woman workspaces