The Dancer of Tanjore (La bayadère de Tanjore)
1914
Medium
etching, drypoint, and printed tone in brown on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 29.3 x 23.8 cm (11 9/16 x 9 3/8 in.) sheet: 40.4 x 31.3 cm (15 7/8 x 12 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bell, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Accession Number
1991.28.6
Art Historical Context
Albert Besnard's *The Dancer of Tanj (La bayadère Tanjore)*, created in 1914, captures the graceful allure of a traditional Indian temple dancer, or bayadère, from the city of Thanjavur (Tanjore) in southern India. As a leading French artist of the Belle Époque, Besnard was renowned for his symbolist and impressionist influences, blending luminous color with intricate detail. This print reflects the era's Orientalist fascination with Eastern cultures, fueled by French colonialism and world's fairs that showcased exotic performers. Masterfully executed in etching, drypoint, and printed tone in...
About the Artist
Albert Besnard
Paul-Albert Besnard, known as Albert Besnard, was born on June 2, 1849, in Paris to an artistic family: his father, Louis Adolphe Ferdinand Besnard, was a history painter and pupil of Ingres, while his mother, Marie Louise Pauline Vaillant, was a noted miniaturist trained under Lizinska de Mirbel. Precociously talented, he began his training under Jean-François Brémond before entering the École de...