Iza Sleeping (Le Sommeil d'Iza)
1885
Medium
etching and aquatint on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 16.7 x 11.5 cm (6 9/16 x 4 1/2 in.) sheet: 26.5 x 20.1 cm (10 7/16 x 7 15/16 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
1992.59.9
Art Historical Context
In the intimate etching and aquatint *Iza Sleeping (Lemeil d'Iza)* from 1885, French artist Albert Besnard captures a tender moment of repose, evoking quiet beauty of everyday life. Besnard (1849–1934), a leading figure in late 19th-century French, bridged painting and printmaking with his luminous, expressive style influenced by Symbolism and the decorative arts. This small-scale work (plate: 16.7 × 11.5 cm) invites viewers into a private, dreamlike scene, showcasing his skill in rendering subtle emotions through line and tone. The medium—etching and aquatint on laid paper—highlights Besnard...
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...