Artois
Medium
pen and red ink and watercolor over graphite
Dimensions
overall (approximate): 24.5 x 16.1 cm (9 5/8 x 6 5/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.6250
Art Historical Context
Henry Bonaventure Monnier's *Artois* (1869) captures the essence of 19th-century French draftsmanship through its delicate mixed-media technique. Created with pen and red ink, watercolor, and graphite underdrawing on a modest sheet measuring about 24.5 x 16.1 cm, this work exemplifies the intimate scale favored by artists for studies or finished compositions. The red ink—often called sanguine—lends a warm, earthy glow, while the graphite foundation allows precise shading, blending line and color in a fluid, spontaneous manner typical of the era's sketchbooks. Monnier (1799–1877), a prominent ...