1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Man and Wife Seated by the Road with a Basket(Homme et femme assis au bord de la rou te aven un panier) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows two figures sitting by a road, wrapped in heavy coats and hats. One holds a basket, while the other rests their arm on their knee. Tall grass and wild plants surround them, tangled and thick. The lines are scratchy and uneven, giving everything a rough, textured look. The artist used a technique called drypoint to create deep, webby marks in the plate. This made the lines look almost like tangled vines or brushstrokes. Next, look up drypoint to see how artists like Legros made these striking textures.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
See the richer artist page
