1886
graphite
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Rape (Le Viol) is a 1886 graphite by Paul-Albert Besnard, a Impressionism work, depicting Visitation, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a bare-chested woman with wild hair being grabbed by a shadowy man. His hand clamps her wrist while she twists away. The background is just rough paper and dark lines—no scenery at all. Albert Besnard made this in 1886. He used etching first, then added pencil to soften edges and deepen shadows. The result feels raw, like a quick sketch but deliberately unsettling. It’s a hard image to look at. Check the same artist’s later portraits at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Paul-Albert Besnard (1849–1934) was a French artist, born in 7th arrondissement of Paris.
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