1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Sleeper (Un dormeur) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a person lying down, curled up with their head resting on one arm. Their legs are bent, and their body is wrapped in loose, flowing lines. The whole image is drawn with quick, sketchy strokes—no smooth shading, just dark lines that create shape and texture. The artist used a technique where ink is scratched into a metal plate, then pressed onto paper. This lets the lines stay sharp and expressive, like a fast drawing. Next, look up etching to see how it works.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
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