The House of the Well (La maison du puits)
1826 to 1850
Medium
etching and drypoint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of George Matthew Adams in memory of his mother, Lydia Havens Adams
Accession Number
1948.6.13
Art Historical Context
**The House of the Well ( maison du puits)** is a captivating etching and drypoint by Alphonse Leg, a French-born artist who bridged Realism and the 19th-century etching revival Created between 1826 and 1850—during Legros's formative years in France—this print likely captures a rustic architectural scene, evoking the everyday charm of rural life. Legros, known for his meticulous landscapes and portraits, drew inspiration from masters like Rembrandt, blending precise observation with atmospheric depth to highlight the textures of stone and shadow. The medium of etching and drypoint exemplifies...
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...