Near Nordkerque (Pres de Nordkerque)

Alphonse Legros

1874

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Late 19th Century Landscape

About this work

This sketch shows a quiet forest scene. Tall, skinny trees stand close together. The ground is covered in short, wavy lines—maybe grass or bushes. Light fades near the edges, leaving the center a little brighter. The artist used fine, scratchy lines to draw every leaf and branch. It looks like the paper was pressed hard to make those marks. Check out drypoint to see how this technique works.