Bacchus
1903
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1903
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Bacchus is a 1903 ink by Henri Fantin-Latour, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two figures in a dark, shadowy space. One stands with arms raised, holding what looks like a crescent moon, while the other leans in, their face half-hidden. The lines are rough and scratchy, like quick pencil strokes. The artist signed it in the corner—Fantin-Latour—but this isn’t a painting. It’s a lithograph, a print made by drawing on stone. The small sketch in the bottom right looks like a practice doodle. Check out lithography to see how artists turn drawings into prints.
