Félix-Hilaire Buhot

Art Historical Context

This 1898 etching and drypoint by Loys Delteil portrays the French printmaker Félix-Hilaireot, capturing the artist in a moment of quiet intensity. Delteil, himself an accomplished etcher and cataloguer of 19th-century prints, employed the intimate scale of the plate—measuring just over six inches—to create a sensitive likeness. The combination of etching’s precise lines with drypoint’s soft, velvety burr produces rich tonal contrasts that emphasize Buhot’s expressive features against the textured laid paper. Created in the final year of Buhot’s life, the print reflects the close artistic circles of fin-de-siècle Paris, where etching enjoyed a vibrant revival. Delteil’s choice of medium honors Buhot’s own mastery of intaglio techniques, known for their atmospheric effects and inventive marginal imagery. Housed in the National Gallery of Art’s Helena Gunnarsson Buhot Collection, the work serves as both a personal tribute and a document of printmaking’s enduring dialogue between artists. Visitors can appreciate how the restrained black-and-white palette and modest dimensions invite close looking, revealing the tactile quality of the printed surface that links two generations of etchers.