L'Épreuve (album 2, deluxe edition)

Art Historical Context

**L'Épreuve (Album 2, Deluxe Edition *1895, Portfolio, National Gallery of Art* Step into the fin-de-siècle elegance of 1895 Paris with *L'Épreuve (Album2, Deluxe Edition)* a luxurious portfolio published by Maurice Dumont. This collaborative masterpiece features original contributions from luminaries like Pierre Puvis Chavannes, aist muralist celebrated for his dreamlike visions; Jacques-Émile Blanche, known for his intimate society portraits; and etchers Louis Auguste Mathieu Legrand and Henri de Groux, whose works evoke the era's blend of mysticism and sensuality. Other artists, including Camille Bourget, Charles-Louis-M. Houdard, Richard Ranft, Paul Édouard Crébassa, and Aristide Rousaud, add depth with their intricate prints. Portfolios like this were a hallmark of the 1890s French art scene, reviving etching techniques amid the Symbolist and Decadent movements. The deluxe edition likely offered collectors rare, hand-pulled proofs on fine paper, emphasizing craftsmanship over mass production. It captures a moment when artists explored personal expression through intimate, limited-run albums, bridging painting and printmaking. Generously gifted from the Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection in memory of Virginia H. Jackson, this treasure in the National Gallery of Art invites you to savor the opulence of late 19th-century innovation—a testament to collaboration and connoisseurship.