Master Arthur
1934
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
aquatint in blue, green and black (trial proof)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1950.17.242
Art Historical Context
Georges Rouault'sMaster Arthur* (193) captures the French Expressionist's distinctive vision through a trial proof aquatint in moody blues, greens, and. Rouault, a devout Catholic artist influenced by Fauvism and medieval stained glass, often portrayed human figures with raw emotional depth, thick black outlines, and vibrant yet somber palettes. This print likely depicts a young boy—perhaps a poignant portrait amid the interwar era's social upheavals—showcasing Rouault's empathy for the vulnerable. Aquatint, an intaglio technique Rouault mastered in the 1930s, allows for velvety tonal gradati...
About the Artist
Georges Rouault
Georges-Henri Rouault was born on May 27, 1871, in a Paris cellar during the violent "Bloody Week" of the Paris Commune, when a stray shell destroyed his family's home in the working-class Belleville district. Raised by a carpenter father who worked at the Pleyel piano factory and a grandfather who collected prints by Honoré Daumier, Rembrandt, Courbet, and Manet, Rouault showed early artistic pro...