Gabriele D'Annunzio
1917
Medium
etching with plate tone on Van Gelder laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 29.9 x 23.8 cm (11 3/4 x 9 3/8 in.) sheet: 32.7 x 26.8 cm (12 7/8 x 10 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bell, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Accession Number
1991.28.14
Art Historical Context
In 1917, French artist Albert Besnard created this striking etching with plate tone, portraying the flamboyant Italian poet, playwright, and war hero Gabriele D'Annzio. Besnard, renowned for his expressive portraits and mastery of printmaking, captures D'Annunzio during World War I—a time when the writer was not only penning patriotic verses but also serving as an aviator and propagandist for Italy. This intimate depiction, housed in the National Gallery of Art as a gift honoring its 50th anniversary, reflects the era's fascination with larger-than-life cultural figures amid global upheaval. ...
About the Artist
Albert Besnard
Paul-Albert Besnard, known as Albert Besnard, was born on June 2, 1849, in Paris to an artistic family: his father, Louis Adolphe Ferdinand Besnard, was a history painter and pupil of Ingres, while his mother, Marie Louise Pauline Vaillant, was a noted miniaturist trained under Lizinska de Mirbel. Precociously talented, he began his training under Jean-François Brémond before entering the École de...