Artwork
Adresse de Labric

Adresse de Labric is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Félix-Hilaire Buhot. It dates from 1876 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s print *Adresse de Labric* was produced in 1876. Executed as an etching, engraving and aquatint on cream‑laid paper, the work combines line work with tonal washes, all rendered in black. The composition presents an interior scene populated by two women and a cluttered shelf, framed by a window that looks out onto a cityscape beneath a somber sky.
Subject & Meaning
Within the room, one woman sits demurely, a fan in her hand, her gaze directed downward, while the other stands beside a shelf crowded with vases, jars and whimsical animal figures such as a cat and a bull. The title, *Adresse de Labric*, suggests a reference to a shop or address, inviting a playful reading of the objects as visual puns or jokes.
Technique & Style
Buhot employed a combination of etching, engraving and aquatint to achieve both precise linear detail and soft tonal areas. The acid‑etched lines define the figures and architectural elements, while the aquatint creates the muted shadows of the interior and the atmospheric sky beyond the window, characteristic of late‑19th‑century French printmaking.
History & Provenance
Created in 1876, the print belongs to the period when Buhot was active in Paris, contributing to the revival of print techniques. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work appears in catalogues of his oeuvre and has been exhibited in collections focusing on 19th‑century French graphic art.
Context
*Adresse de Labric* reflects the era’s interest in genre scenes that blend everyday domestic settings with subtle satire. The inclusion of everyday objects alongside fanciful animal statues aligns with contemporary trends in French art that explored the boundary between realism and whimsical imagination.
Artist & collection







![Gillingham Pier, London [verso], by Félix-Hilaire Buhot](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/felix-hilaire-buhot--gillingham-pier-london-verso--641e03dd7de8217b-w320.webp)











