1892
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Ernest Renan is a 1892 ink by Anders Zorn, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a man sitting in a chair, his head resting on his hand. His face is half-lit, with shadows under his eyes. Behind him, a lamp and some furniture are drawn in quick, loose lines. The whole image feels like it was made fast, with lots of hatching—lots of parallel lines to show dark and light. The artist used a tool to scratch into the metal plate before inking it, which is why the lines look sharp and layered. This isn’t a smooth painting—it’s all about texture and quick marks. Look up etching to see how artists create prints like this.
Anders Leonard Zorn was born in February 1860 in Mora, Dalarna, the illegitimate son of a Bavarian brewer and a Swedish farmer's daughter; his mother died shortly after his birth, and his grandparents raised him.
See the richer artist page
