Leda Sleeping (Léda s'endort)
1913
Medium
etching in black on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 10.9 x 13.8 cm (4 5/16 x 5 7/16 in.) sheet: 14.5 x 18.6 cm (5 11/16 x 7 5/16 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
1990.95.33
Art Historical Context
Albert Besnard's *Leda Sleeping (Léda s'endort)*, created in 1913, a serene, mythical moment through the delicate medium of etching in black on laid paper. intimate print depicts Leda, the legendary figure from Greek mythology seduced by Zeus in the form of a swan, reclining in slumber. Measuring just 10.9 x 13.8 cm on the plate, its small scale invites close contemplation, evoking vulnerability and dreamlike tranquility. Besnard, a prominent French artist (1849–1934) known for his Symbolist influences and painterly touch, masterfully used etching to blend precise linework with soft tonal grad...
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...