Marine Algae (Algues marines)
1893
Medium
gypsograph in green on japan paper
Dimensions
plate: 17 x 11 cm (6 11/16 x 4 5/16 in.) sheet: 32.5 x 22.2 cm (12 13/16 x 8 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection
Accession Number
2004.162.35
Art Historical Context
Pierre Roche’s *Marine Algae (Algues marines)* of 1893 offers a delicate glimpse of underwater life rendered through an uncommon printmaking process. The small plate, measuring just 17 by 11 centimeters, depicts the graceful, branching forms of marine algae in a soft green tone on fine Japan paper. This intimate scale encourages close looking, inviting viewers to trace the subtle textures and rhythmic lines that suggest plants gently moving beneath the sea. The gypsograph technique itself lends the image its distinctive character. By working with plaster to create the printing matrix, Roche a...