Artwork

Woman Seated against a Wall, Child with His Head in Her Lap (Femme assis, muraille au fond, enfant la tete dans son giron)

Woman Seated against a Wall, Child with His Head in Her Lap (Femme assis, muraille au fond, enfant la tete dans son giron) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Alphonse Legros. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Woman Seated against a Wall, Child with His Head in Her Lap (1874) is an etching and drypoint print by Alphonse Legros, a French-born British artist. The work captures a serene, intimate moment between a woman and a child.

Subject & Meaning

The print portrays a seated woman with a child resting their head in her lap against a simple, rough-hewn wall backdrop. The scene conveys quiet domesticity and maternal care, characterized by the woman's folded hands and the child's trusting pose.

Technique & Style

Legros employed etching and drypoint to achieve a textured, expressive quality. The scratchy, uneven lines and deep shadows, facilitated by pressing ink into metal plate grooves, imbue the image with a dynamic, almost carved appearance.

History & Provenance

Created in 1874, this print reflects Legros's role in the British etching revival. As a versatile artist and educator, he influenced the medium's resurgence through his teaching in London after 1863.