Study for Head of a Man (Etude de tete d'homme)
1826 to 1850
Medium
etching and drypoint?
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.5456
Art Historical Context
Behold the intimate "Study for Head of a Man (Étude de tête d'homme)," a compelling etching and drypoint by French-born artist Alphonse Legros, dated between 1826 and 1850. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald CollectionDepartment CG-E), this print exemplifies Legros' mastery as a printmaker during his formative years. Part of a rich tradition of preparatory sketches, it captures the nuanced contours of a male subject's face, inviting viewers to ponder the human spirit through meticulous line work. Legros, who later became a pivotal figure in British art circles after settling in...
About the Artist
Alphonse Legros · 1837–1911
Alphonse Legros (1837–1911) was born in Dijon, France, and trained in Paris at the drawing school of Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran, whose unconventional teaching method — which emphasised memory drawing and acute observation over academic convention — would leave a lasting mark on Legros's practice. At Lecoq's school he formed friendships with Jules Dalou and Auguste Rodin that endured throughout hi...