1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Sunrise (Lever du soleil: L'automne) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a quiet, misty landscape at dawn. Dark trees fill the foreground, their branches tangled and heavy. Behind them, a faint glow lights the sky, with hills fading into soft shapes. The whole scene feels cool and still, like the first light of morning. The artist used fine lines and shading to build up the texture—almost like scratching into the surface. It’s not just a sketch; the ink layers create depth, making the trees look almost three-dimensional. Try looking up etching to see how this technique 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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