This painting appears in so many places online that is has acquired near-meme status - a tribute to its effectiveness. As with all such paintings, the viewer is invited to imagine the story behind the painting. Is the young woman suffering from an unhappy love affair? Was her lover killed in battle? Or is she just experiencing existential sadness? The mystery is a big part of the allure, I think.
The painter was another of the talented and accomplished female painters who graced the French art scene of the early 19th century. Not much is known about her but a few details are available. Her dates are 1767-1849. She exhibited at least thirty works at Paris Salons during her career and received awards for some of them. Melancholy is certainly her best known work today, though obviously she had an extensive body of work. She stopped exhibiting in 1821 and seems to have limited her artistic activity to teaching after that. (These info from here)
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