The Parisian (La Parisienne)
1903
Medium
drypoint in black on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 45.2 x 34.9 cm (17 13/16 x 13 3/4 in.) sheet: 61 x 44 cm (24 x 17 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1981.2.1
Art Historical Context
### The Parisian (La ParisienneCreated in 1903 by French artist Jacques Villon (1875–1963), *The Parisian (La Parisienne)* is a striking drypoint print in black ink on laid paper, measuring 45.2 x 34.9 cm on the plate. Villon, elder brother of Marcel Duchamp, a master printmaker in his early career, capturing the vibrant spirit of Belle Époque Paris through elegant, intimate portraits. This work exemplifies his skill in depicting fashionable urban life, with the poised figure of a stylish woman evoking the glamour and modernity of turn-of-the-century France. Drypoint, Villon's favored techniq...
About the Artist
Jacques Villon
Jacques Villon, born Gaston Émile Duchamp on July 31, 1875, in Damville, Normandy, hailed from a family brimming with artistic talent. As the eldest of six children, he grew up alongside his brothers Raymond Duchamp-Villon, a pioneering sculptor, and Marcel Duchamp, the renowned Dadaist, as well as his sister Suzanne Duchamp, also a painter. Their maternal grandfather, Émile Frédéric Nicolle, a pr...