Who painted A Toast II?

A Toast II was painted by Anders Zorn in 1893.

Where can I see A Toast II?

A Toast II is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A Toast II?

A Toast II is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of A Toast II?

Museum-quality prints of A Toast II are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

A Toast II by Anders Zorn (1893) · Meaning, Museum & Prints

Inscription: Inscribed:"Zorn" lower right margin, graphite, artist's hand. "Zorn / 1893" center left composition, in plate, artist's hand. "Hildebrand, Key, Waern, Nordenskiold, Wieselgren" lower left composition, in plate, artist's hand. "I Idun 1892" lower right, in plate, artist's hand. "A81985" verso, lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "T-VXV-" verso, lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand.
Markings: Marked:"LRJ" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1760b). "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1932d).

About this work

Overview

The composition centers on a bearded man clad in a dark coat, depicted in a three-quarter view with his face turned slightly away from the viewer.

Anders Zorn's 1893 etching, A Toast II, captures a moment of social interaction with the artist's characteristic economy of line. The composition centers on a bearded man clad in a dark coat, depicted in a three-quarter view with his face turned slightly away from the viewer. He holds a drinking glass in one hand and a folded paper or napkin in the other, suggesting a pause during a meal or gathering.

Zorn employs his signature etching technique, utilizing sharp, decisive strokes to define the sitter's facial features, particularly the lines around the eyes and mouth, which convey character and age. The background dissolves into a field of quick, crisscrossed strokes, effectively blurring the setting and directing the viewer's focus entirely onto the figure. Created during a period when Zorn was highly prolific in printmaking, this work exemplifies his ability to convey atmosphere and psychological presence without detailed rendering.

The piece reflects the artist's interest in capturing the immediacy of human expression and the fleeting nature of social moments, a recurring theme in his oeuvre from the 1890s.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a bearded man in a dark coat, his profile turned slightly away as he holds a glass in one hand and a folded napkin or paper in the other. The sharply drawn facial lines around the eyes and mouth convey a fleeting, perhaps contemplative, gesture, suggesting a private toast or quiet pause.

Technique & Style

Zorn employs drypoint alongside traditional etching, allowing lines to accumulate and produce deep shadows and textured surfaces. The rough, burr‑laden edges of the drypoint strokes give the figure a tactile presence, while the background is rendered with rapid, criss‑crossed marks that dissolve the setting into suggestion rather than detail.

History & Provenance

Created in 1893, A Toast II belongs to a period when Zorn explored printmaking alongside his celebrated oil paintings. The work has been held in several private collections before entering public holdings, reflecting the artist’s interest in disseminating his studies of everyday scenes through reproducible media.

Context

During the late nineteenth century, European artists increasingly turned to print techniques to capture spontaneous moments and social scenes. Zorn’s choice of a simple, domestic subject aligns with this trend, while his mastery of drypoint demonstrates his technical versatility beyond his more famous portraiture.