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Ex Libris with a Butterfly and Dragonfly

Félix-Hilaire Buhot

1877

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Ex Libris with a Butterfly and Dragonfly is a 1877 ink by Félix-Hilaire Buhot, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Félix-Hilaire Buhot
When & what style?: 1877 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This print shows a quiet scene of nature: a cluster of leaves and flowers in the bottom left, with two insects hovering above—a butterfly and a dragonfly. The colors are mostly soft purples and grays, with some darker lines defining the shapes. The paper has a slightly grainy texture, and the edges of the print are clean and bordered. The artist used a mix of fine lines and smooth shading to make the insects and plants look almost alive. The way the ink blends into the paper gives it a dreamy, slightly faded look. Next, look up etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how artists create prints like this.