The Bells
1905
Medium
drypoint and colored pencil on laid paper [touched proof]
Dimensions
plate: 20 x 15.2 cm (7 7/8 x 6 in.) sheet: 46.5 x 32.4 cm (18 5/16 x 12 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
2008.9.1
Art Historical Context
Fernand Khnopff’s 1905 print *The Bells* exemplifies the refined intimacy of early twentieth-century Symbolist works on paper. Created as a drypoint touched with colored pencil, this touched proof reveals the artist’s direct intervention in the printing process. Drypoint’s characteristically soft, velvety lines, produced by the burr of the needle on the copper plate, lend the image a delicate, almost atmospheric quality that Khnopff further enhanced by hand-coloring select areas. Measuring just 20 by 15.2 centimeters in the plate, the work rewards close viewing, inviting visitors to appreciat...