Sunrise, Woods of Clamard (Lever du soleil, bois de Clamard)

Art Historical Context

As visitors to the National Gallery of Art, find a moment of quiet beauty in Alphonse Legros'sSunrise, Woods ofamard (Lever du soleil, bois Clamard)*, a drypoint print from around 1826–1850. Legros, a 19th-century French-born who later worked in Britain, captures the gentle dawn light filtering through the woods near Paris's Bois de Clamart. intimate landscape invites contemplation of nature's awakening, with soft shadows and emerging warmth evoking the Romantic spirit of the era. The artwork's medium—drypoint—is key to its allure. In this intaglio technique, Legros scratched directly into a copper plate, raising a fine burr that yields velvety, expressive lines and rich tonal depth. Unlike etched lines, drypoint's organic texture mimics a drawing, allowing subtle gradations of light perfect for sunrise's hazy glow. Prints like this were prized for their immediacy and reproducibility, bridging fine art with wider audiences. Generously gifted by George Matthew Adams in memory of his mother, Lydia Havens Adams, this piece from the CG-E department highlights Legros's skill in printmaking. It reminds us how 19th-century artists like him celebrated everyday landscapes, blending technical innovation with poetic observation. Pause here and let the rising sun draw you in! (198 words)

About the Artist

Alphonse Legros · 1837–1911

Alphonse Legros (1837–1911) was born in Dijon, France, and trained in Paris at the drawing school of Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran, whose unconventional teaching method — which emphasised memory drawing and acute observation over academic convention — would leave a lasting mark on Legros's practice. At Lecoq's school he formed friendships with Jules Dalou and Auguste Rodin that endured throughout hi...