Allegory of the Peasant and Fortune (Le paysan et la fortune: Sujet allegorique)
1826 to 1850
Medium
etching and drypoint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.5430
Art Historical Context
In the National Gallery of Art Rosenwald Collection, *Allegory of the Peasant and FortuneLe paysan et la: Sujet allegor)* by French artist Alphonse Legros stands as a captivating 19th-century print dated between 1826 1850. Crafted as an etching and drypoint this work showcases Legros's mastery of intaglio techniques: etching uses acid to incise precise lines into a metal plate, while drypoint rich, velvety burrs from direct needle scratches, creating dramatic contrasts and tactile depth ideal for allegorical storytelling. The title evokes a timeless moral fable, pitting the humble peasant aga...
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...