A Haarlem
1877
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
image: 20.9 × 30.5 cm (8 1/4 × 12 in.) sheet: 38 × 53 cm (14 15/16 × 20 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1950.16.88
Art Historical Context
Maxime Lalanne’s 1877 etching *A Haarlem* captures a tranquil view of the historic Dutch city, rendered with the delicate precision characteristic of nineteenth-century printmaking. Working during the etching revival, when artists rediscovered the medium’s expressive potential, Lalanne translated the quiet streets and architectural details of Haarlem into fine lines and subtle tonal gradations on laid paper. The modest image size belies the work’s atmospheric depth, inviting viewers to appreciate both the city’s heritage and the artist’s careful observation. Etching allowed Lalanne to achieve...
About the Artist
Maxime Lalanne
François Antoine Maxime Lalanne (1827–1886) was born in Bordeaux into a family of civil servants, initially pursuing classical studies and a law career. At the Institution Oré, he learned drawing from instructor Saulnier and showed early promise, exhibiting pencil and pastel works at Bordeaux's Philomathique Society in 1850, where he earned a bronze medal. Encouraged by architect Léo Drouyn, Lalan...