A cette lueur soudaine... (In the sudden gleam of light...)
1878
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1878
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows a chaotic crowd in a dark, stormy town square. Buildings loom in the background, smoke rises from a fire, and people scramble in panic. The artist used rough, jagged lines to show the chaos—especially in the sky, where the clouds look like swirling smoke. The edges of the paper are filled with quick, sketchy figures and flames, almost like doodles. The title hints this might be about sudden fear or disaster. Next, check out etching to see how artists use acid and metal plates to create these grainy textures.
![Gillingham Pier, London [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/641e03dd7de8217b/thumb.webp)