1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Woman Seated against a Wall, Child with His Head in Her Lap (Femme assis, muraille au fond, enfant la tete dans son giron) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a woman sitting against a rough wall, her hands folded in her lap. A child leans against her, head resting on her knees. The lines are scratchy and uneven, giving everything a textured, almost nervous feel. The artist used a technique that lets them press ink into grooves in the metal plate, creating both fine lines and deeper shadows. This makes the drawing look like it’s carved from light. Check out etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how this process works.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
See the richer artist page
