1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Old Village (Ville vieille) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a quiet village nestled in a valley. Tall trees line the winding path that leads downhill, their branches drawn with quick, tangled lines. Small houses peek through the foliage, their rooftops barely visible between the trees. The artist used a mix of scratching and ink to create texture—some areas look almost like brushstrokes, while others are smooth. It’s like the scene was drawn in a hurry, but with careful attention to how light might hit the trees. Next, check out etching to see how artists like this made detailed prints with acid and needles.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
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