Banks of the Saint-Pre (Rive du Saint-Pre)
1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a lone tree standing by a riverbank. The branches twist in wild lines, almost like they’re moving. The water below is just a mix of quick, crisscrossed strokes—no smooth shapes here. The artist packed a lot of energy into the marks, making the scene feel alive. This is an etching, where ink is scraped into a metal plate to create the lines. Check out etching to see how artists like this one make prints.
