Artwork
Carmosine (projet de programme)
Carmosine (projet de programme) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Maurice Dumont. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left in plate: MAURICE DUMONT, [?]; lower right below image in graphite: MD
About this work
Overview
Carmosine (projet de programme) is a printed work executed by Maurice Dumont in 1895. The image is rendered as a gravure stamped in pink on a heavy sheet of Japanese paper, presenting a modestly sized composition that emphasizes line and tonal subtlety.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts two figures traversing a gently inclined path. One figure bears a bundle on the back, while the companion walks beside them. A low fence or wall borders the right side, and foliage lines the left, with distant structures hinted through the trees, suggesting a quiet, everyday moment in an outdoor setting.
Technique & Style
Dumont employed a gravure process, pressing ink onto the paper to create soft, pinkish tones that allow the drawn lines to emerge with a delicate glow. The strokes are loose and economical, conveying movement and spatial depth without detailed modeling, a quality that aligns the work with the broader tendencies of late‑19th‑century French printmaking.
History & Provenance
Created in the final decade of the 19th century, the piece forms part of Dumont’s programmatic series, a group of works exploring thematic or instructional concepts. The original print remains on heavy Japanese paper, a material choice that enhances its texture and durability, though specific ownership records beyond the artist’s archive are not documented.
Context
The work emerges during a period when French artists were experimenting with print media to reach broader audiences and to explore new aesthetic possibilities. The use of pink-toned paper and the simplified representation of landscape and figures reflect contemporary interests in color modulation and the capture of fleeting, everyday scenes.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
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