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Ubu Roi

Alfred Jarry

1894

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Ubu Roi is a 1894 ink by Alfred Jarry, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Alfred Jarry
When & what style?: 1894 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows a strange, flat-looking scene with bold black lines on a pinkish background. On the left, two stick-like figures sit under a tree, one holding what looks like a pipe. To the right, a giant head with wild hair holds a lantern over a small house with spiky trees. The shapes are simple but the scene feels off—like a dream or a joke. The artist used thick outlines and solid black areas to create shapes, almost like a sketch come to life. This style was new for its time and played with how people saw reality. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.