1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
W.H. Longfellow, 1st plate is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white drawing of a bearded man’s face and shoulders. The lines are scratchy and uneven, especially around his hair and beard. The background is just a few faint lines, so all the focus stays on his wrinkled face and thick eyebrows. The artist used a technique that lets ink pile up in the grooves, making some lines darker than others. This was common in the 1800s for portraits that felt raw and real. Next, check out etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how artists like Legros made these textures.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
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