Les Hirondelles (The Swallows)
1882, printed c. 1900
Medium
etching on Japan paper
Dimensions
plate: 33.6 x 28 cm (13 1/4 x 11 in.) sheet: 41.9 x 32.2 cm (16 1/2 x 12 11/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Jacob Kainen
Accession Number
2002.98.5
Art Historical Context
Félix Bracquemond's *Les HirondellesThe Swallows)*, in 1882 and printed around 1900, captures the graceful flight of swallows in a delicate etching on fine Japan paper. Bracquemond, a figure in France's 19th-century revival, was renowned for his technical mastery and friendship with Impressionists like Manet and Degas. This print exemplifies his skill in translating the fleeting beauty of nature into intricate lines, using the etching process—where acid bites into a metal plate—to create subtle tones and textures that evoke movement and light. The choice of Japan paper, a thin, luxurious orie...
About the Artist
Félix Bracquemond · 1833–1914
French, Paris 1833–1914 Sèvres