1879
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Portrait of George Frederic Watts is a 1879 by Alphonse Legros, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of an older man with a long white beard and balding head. His face is turned slightly to the side, and the lines on his forehead and around his eyes show age. The artist used shading to give his skin and beard texture, making them look almost three-dimensional. The signature says this is a portrait of George Frederic Watts, but it was drawn by Alphonse Legros. The way the light and dark areas contrast is very precise—it’s not just shadows, but a careful study of how light falls on skin and fabric. Look up chiaroscuro next to see how this technique works in other art.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
See the richer artist page
