What is the saddest work of art ever created?

Answer 1

One that would at least fall in my top ten is Echo and Narcissus by John William Waterhouse.

The story of Narcissus is an incredibly tragic tale, and Waterhouse elevates the wistful desire of the lover and the unspoken dread that things will only get worse. Many paintings show the entrapment and meaninglessness of Narcissus falling in love with his reflection, but the inclusion of the spurned Echo serves to remind the viewer that Narcissus is not the only victim of his curse.