Effet de Nuit II
1895
Medium
Etching on tan wove paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 24 × 16.2 cm (9 1/2 × 6 7/16 in.); Sheet: 42.9 × 31.7 cm (16 15/16 × 12 1/2 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
55375
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Anders Zorn’s *Effet de Nuit II* (1895) showcases the Swedish artist’s remarkable command of etching at the height of his printmaking career. Known for his fluid line work and sensitivity to light, uses the medium’s velvety blacks and delicate contrasts to evoke the subtle glow of night. The modest plate size encourages an intimate viewing experience, drawing the eye into quiet atmospheric effects rather than dramatic detail. Created on tan wove paper, the print highlights the tactile richness of etching, a technique that allowed Zorn to achieve painterly results through incised lines and controlled biting of the acid. As part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings collection, this work reflects the late-nineteenth-century revival of etching as a respected fine-art medium, bridging traditional craftsmanship with modern explorations of mood and perception. Visitors often find Zorn’s night scenes especially compelling for their ability to suggest rather than describe, inviting quiet contemplation of how light shapes our experience of darkness.
About the Artist
Anders Zorn · 1860–1920
Anders Zorn (1860–1920), one of Sweden's most celebrated artists, was born on February 18 in Utmeland near Mora in Dalarna, and raised on his maternal grandparents' farm in the nearby hamlet of Yvraden. Displaying prodigious talent from a young age, he attended school in Mora Strand until age twelve, followed by secondary grammar school in Enköping, where he excelled in drawing people and horses. ...