Confidences
1900
Medium
etching and drypoint on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 27 x 20.2 cm (10 5/8 x 7 15/16 in.) sheet: 32.2 x 23.7 cm (12 11/16 x 9 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2005.145.5
Art Historical Context
**Confidences** (1900) is a captivating etching and drypoint by French artist Albert Besnard, master of light and emotion whose works bridged Symbolism and the decorative exuberance of the Belle Époque Created at the turn of the century, this intimate print evokes whispered secrets among figures—likely women in a moment of tender confidence—captured with Besnard's signature flair for psychological depth and atmospheric grace. Housed in the National Gallery of Art a gift from Ruth Cole Kainen, it measures a modest plate size of 27 x 20.2 cm, inviting close contemplation of its delicate details....
About the Artist
Albert Besnard
Paul-Albert Besnard, known as Albert Besnard, was born on June 2, 1849, in Paris to an artistic family: his father, Louis Adolphe Ferdinand Besnard, was a history painter and pupil of Ingres, while his mother, Marie Louise Pauline Vaillant, was a noted miniaturist trained under Lizinska de Mirbel. Precociously talented, he began his training under Jean-François Brémond before entering the École de...