1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Thinker (Le penseur) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a person sitting alone, lost in thought. They’re hunched forward, holding a stick or cane, with their head resting on one hand. The background is dark and blurry, like a shadowy room with a window or doorway behind them. The artist used fine lines and shading to create depth, making the figure stand out against the murky space. This style was common in etchings, where ink is pressed into metal plates to make prints. Next, look up technique: etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how artists like Legros made these detailed prints.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
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