Study of two figures, one lunging at the other
ca. 1870
Medium
graphite
Dimensions
7 x 4-1/2 in. (17.8 x 11.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dana Broccoli, 1978
Accession Number
1978.655.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Félicien Rops, a Belgian artist renowned for his provocative illustrations blending eroticism, satire, and the macabre, created this *Study of two figures, one lunging at the other* around 1870. Active in Paris during the late 19 century, Rops was a key figure in the Decadent and Symbolist, often collaborating with writers like Charles Baudelaire. His drawings frequently captured intense human interactions, exploring themes of passion, violence, and the grotesque through fluid, expressive lines—a hallmark of his graphite technique on small-scale sheets like this 7 x 4½-inch study. Rendered in...
About the Artist
Félicien Rops · 1833–1898
Félicien Rops, born Félicien Victor Joseph Rops on July 7, 1833, in Namur, Belgium, to a prosperous textile manufacturing family, displayed prodigious artistic talent from youth. The only child of Nicholas Rops and Sophie Maubile, he received private tutoring until age ten, followed by education at a Jesuit school in Namur (1843–1848), the Athénée Royal de Namur, and the Academy of Fine Arts there...