Patrol (Esplorazione)
1888/1890
Medium
etching on brown paper (artist's proof)
Dimensions
sheet: 26 × 20 cm (10 1/4 × 7 7/8 in.) [irregular] plate: 22 × 15 cm (8 11/16 × 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
The Ahmanson Foundation
Accession Number
2013.31.3
Art Historical Context
Giovanni Fattori's *Patrol (Esplorazione)*, created between 1888 and 1890, is a striking etching on brown paper—an artist's proof that offers an intimate glimpse into the master's printmaking process. Measuring just 26 × 20 cm overall, with a plate of 22 × 15 cm, this small-scale work invites close contemplation, its irregular sheet edges hinting at the experimental nature of proofs pulled directly for the artist's approval. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's print collection, thanks to The Ahmanson Foundation, it exemplifies Fattori's late-career exploration of etching as a medium for pr...
About the Artist
Giovanni Fattori
Giovanni Fattori (1825–1908) was born in Livorno and showed such aptitude for drawing that his family redirected him from a planned commercial education to an artistic apprenticeship under the local painter Giuseppe Baldini. In 1846 he moved to Florence, where he studied under Giuseppe Bezzuoli and attended the Academy of Fine Arts. His early work followed the conventions of historical and religio...