Communion in the Church of Saint Medard (La communion dans l'eglise St.-Medard)
1826 to 1850
Medium
etching with aquatint?
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
1952.10.18
Art Historical Context
Alphonse Legros, a prominent French-born etcher and painter who later worked in Britain, captures a solemn moment of communion in *Communion in the Church of-Médard* (La communion l'église St.-Médard), created between 1826 and1850. This print executed in etching with aquat—a technique blending fine lines with tonal washes for rich depth and texture—exemplifies Legros's mastery of printmaking. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's of Prints (CG-E), it was generously gifted by George Matthew Adams in memory of his mother, Lydia Havens Adams. The scene unfolds in Paris's historic Église Saint-...
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...