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La Traversée (The Passage)

Félix-Hilaire Buhot

1882

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

La Traversée (The Passage) is a 1882 ink by Félix-Hilaire Buhot, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Félix-Hilaire Buhot
When & what style?: 1882 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This print shows a dark, busy scene split into three parts. At the top, a man in heavy clothes climbs a ladder toward a small balcony with a group of people inside. Below that, a crowd gathers under a bridge, some sitting on benches while others stand or lean against walls. The bottom left corner has quick sketches of people and objects, like a dog and a boat. The whole image is rough and grainy, with lots of cross-hatching and dark shading. The title *La Traversée* hints this might be about crossing or passing through—maybe a bridge or a river. The artist used a mix of techniques to create texture, making the scene feel rough and urgent. Look up etching to see how artists like this one layer lines and ink for depth.