1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Fire, 2nd plate (L'incendie) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a chaotic scene of people running, some carrying bundles, through a dark, smoky street. A woman in the foreground kneels, holding a child while clutching a bag. In the background, another woman leans over a fallen man, and a horse-drawn cart lies overturned. The lines are rough and scratchy, making the scene feel urgent and alive. The artist used a technique called etching, where they scratched into a metal plate to create the lines. This method lets them build up layers of texture, especially in the smoke and shadows. Look up etching to see how artists use acid and needles to make prints like this.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
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