Etude de nu (Study of a Nude)
1895
Medium
softground etching and drypoint in black on heavy japan paper
Dimensions
plate: 4.2 x 19.4 cm (1 5/8 x 7 5/8 in.) sheet: 27.9 x 36.9 cm (11 x 14 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection, gift in memory of Virginia H. Jackson
Accession Number
1996.151.53
Art Historical Context
Félicien Rops, a pioneering Belgian artist of the fin-de-siècle era (1833–1898), created *Étude de nu (Study a Nude)* in 1895, a delicate yet provocative print that exemplifies his fascination with the human form, eroticism, and the macabre. Associated with Symbolism and the Decad movement, Rops often blended sensuality with psychological depth, challenging the prudish conventions of late 19th-century Europe. This intimate study captures the nude figure with a masterful intimacy, reflecting his role as an illustrator for avant-garde publications like Baudelaire's *Les Fleurs du Mal*. Executed...
About the Artist
Félicien Rops · 1833–1898
Félicien Rops, born Félicien Victor Joseph Rops on July 7, 1833, in Namur, Belgium, to a prosperous textile manufacturing family, displayed prodigious artistic talent from youth. The only child of Nicholas Rops and Sophie Maubile, he received private tutoring until age ten, followed by education at a Jesuit school in Namur (1843–1848), the Athénée Royal de Namur, and the Academy of Fine Arts there...