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Etude

Théo van Rysselberghe

1895

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Etude is a 1895 ink by Théo van Rysselberghe, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Théo van Rysselberghe
When & what style?: 1895 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a person’s face and curly hair, drawn in loose, quick lines. The shading is soft, with no hard edges—just smooth strokes that suggest light and shadow. The paper has a warm, slightly yellow tone, and the whole image feels sketchy, like it was done fast. The artist used a technique called *lithography*, which lets them layer marks easily. That’s why the lines look both rough and controlled at once. Next, check out the technique: lithography to see how it works.