1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Vase with Grotesques (Le vase aux masques) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a strange, half-finished vase with two ghostly faces peeking out from the sides. The faces are blurry, almost like they’re melting into the vase’s shape. The lines are scratchy and uneven, giving it a rough, sketchy feel. The artist used a technique where ink is pushed into lines to create texture—this is called etching. The faces look like masks, which might mean the vase is a symbol for something hidden or mysterious. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this one make prints with acid and ink.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
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