Banks of the Venelle (Bord de la Venelle)
late 19th century
Medium
etching? and drypoint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of George Matthew Adams in memory of his mother, Lydia Havens Adams
Accession Number
1953.12.13
Art Historical Context
**Banks of the Venelle (Bord de la Ven)** by Alphonse Legros the serene beauty of rural France in the late 19 century. Legros, a French-born artist who later became a pivotal figure in British art after settling in London in 1863, was renowned for his Realist approach, drawing inspiration from everyday landscapes and peasant life much like his contemporary Gustave Courbet. This etching and drypoint print evokes the quiet banks of a narrow country lane—or *venelle*—highlighting Legros' masterful ability to convey texture and atmosphere through humble subjects. The medium is key to its artistic...
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...