The Henley Hat

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant world of Théodore Roussel'sThe Henley Hat* (c. 1890), a delicate drypoint print in vivid red ink on laid paper Measuring a modest 13.3 × 9.7 cm, this intimate work from the National Gallery of's Rosenwald Collection captures the artist's finesse in late 19th-century print, evoking the refined Aestheticism of the era. Roussel, a French-born artist who settled in England, drew inspiration from James McNeill Whistler Japanese woodcuts, embracing the etching revival's emphasis on subtle tone and line. Drypoint, scratched directly into the copper plate, yields the soft, burr-rich lines that give this piece its tactile warmth—unusual in red, which heightens its dramatic intimacy and highlights the hat's graceful form against the textured laid paper. As a classification in prints, *The Henley Hat* reflects Victorian fashion's flair and the movement's celebration of beauty for its own sake. A hidden gem in the CG-E department, it invites visitors to savor Roussel's technical virtuosity and the cultural poise of fin-de-siècle Europe.