1808
watercolor
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
L'entrée au musée (Entrance to the Museum) is a 1808 watercolor by French 19th Century, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This crowded scene shows a group of people walking into a museum. Everyone is dressed in fancy 19th-century clothes—long coats, hats, and shawls—while a few kids peek out from the crowd. The background has a striped awning, and some people carry umbrellas or bags. The colors are bright but simple, with watercolor touches adding detail. The title at the bottom, *L’entrée au musée*, means "Entrance to the Museum," and the mix of ages and styles suggests this was a popular spot. The artist used etching with hand-colored watercolor to create a lively, slightly chaotic feel. Check out the technique: watercolor, glazing to see how artists built up colors in layers.
This sculptor liked to keep sharp tools in the studio and blunt ones in his pocket—his niece recalled finding him absentmindedly whittling a stick while talking philosophy.
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