Along the River (Le long de la rive)
1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Along the River (Le long de la rive) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two tall trees with bare branches standing by a riverbank. The water is rough, with quick, jagged lines suggesting movement. On the ground, a fallen tree lies half-buried in grass and reeds. The artist used a scratchy, textured style to show light and shadow. This technique makes the scene feel alive, even though it’s just lines and tones. Try looking up etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how these methods create such detail.
