Who painted Les Tisserands?

Les Tisserands was painted by Henri-Gabriel Ibels in 1893.

Where can I see Les Tisserands?

Les Tisserands is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Les Tisserands?

Les Tisserands is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Les Tisserands

Henri-Gabriel Ibels , 1893

Les Tisserands is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Henri-Gabriel Ibels. It dates from 1893 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Henri‑Gabriel Ibels produced the lithographic print Les Tisserands in 1893. Executed on wove paper with a limited palette of five inks, the work measures a modest size typical of the period’s commercial prints. It depicts an intimate interior scene, rendered with the immediacy of a sketch yet reproduced through the lithographic process.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on two women engaged in textile work within a cramped room. One figure feeds thread into a loom while the other operates a long wooden lever, suggesting coordinated labor. The soft daylight filtering through a window illuminates their backs, emphasizing the quiet dignity of domestic craft and the rhythm of manual production.

Technique & Style

Ibels employed traditional lithography, drawing directly onto a limestone surface before transferring the image to paper.

Ibels employed traditional lithography, drawing directly onto a limestone surface before transferring the image to paper. Despite the restraint of five colors, the print achieves tonal depth through layered washes and careful shading. Visible, rapid lines underlie the inked forms, conveying a spontaneous, almost impressionistic quality while maintaining the crispness required for multiple impressions.

History & Provenance

Created in the early 1890s, Les Tisserands reflects the artist’s involvement with the avant‑garde circles of Paris, where lithography was a favored medium for disseminating images. The work entered private collections shortly after its production and has since appeared in several exhibitions of French printmaking, confirming its continued relevance to studies of turn‑of‑the‑century visual culture.