Portret van kunstenaar Alphonse Legros

About this artwork

blad: hoogte 473 mm x breedte 358 mm

Art Historical Context

Félix Bracquemond's *Portret van kunstenaarphonse Legros* (1875) is a intimate etching portrait capturing the likeness of fellow artist Alphonse Legros, a French painter, sculptor, etcher. Measuring just 167 mm high by 116 mm wide on a larger sheet of 473 mm x 358 mm, this small-scale work exemplifies Bracquemond's mastery in printmaking, rendering Legros with sharp, expressive lines that convey both personality and professionalism. Created during the 1870s etching revival in France—a movement Bracquemond helped champion alongside artists like Edgar Degas and James McNeill Whistler—this piece highlights the era's fascination with etching as a democratic fine art. Unlike paintings, etchings allowed artists to produce affordable multiples, bridging elite galleries and broader audiences. Bracquemond's technique, involving a needle-etched copper plate immersed in acid, produces rich tonal variations and fine detail, making Legros's features vivid and lifelike. As a portrait of a kindred spirit in the print world, it underscores the collaborative spirit of late 19th-century French art circles, where etching fostered innovation and friendship. Visitors will appreciate its technical precision and the window it offers into an artistic brotherhood dedicated to pushing printmaking boundaries.

About the Artist

Félix Bracquemond · 1833–1914

French, Paris 1833–1914 Sèvres