Grand-duc (Eagle Owl)
1895
Medium
lithograph in violet on heavy japan paper
Dimensions
image: 34.5 x 25.1 cm (13 9/16 x 9 7/8 in.) sheet: 38 x 27.9 cm (14 15/16 x 11 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection, gift in memory of Virginia H. Jackson
Accession Number
1996.151.32
Art Historical Context
Henri de Groux's *Grand-duc (Eagle Owl)*, created in 1895, the majestic presence of Europe's largest owl species through a striking lithograph printed in violet on heavy Japan paper. Measuring 34.5 x 25.1 cm, this print exemplifies the Belgian artist's Symbolist leanings during the fin-de-siècle era, a time when artists like de Groux explored mysticism, nature's enigmas, and emotional depth rapid modernization. Lithography, a 19th-century innovation, allowed de Groux to translate his fluid drawing style directly onto stone, yielding rich tonal variations in a single violet hue that evokes twi...