The Sign of White Horse, Parson's Green
1906
Medium
Etching in black, with graphite, on cream Japanese paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 12 × 8.1 cm (4 3/4 × 3 1/4 in.); Sheet: 12.7 × 8.1 cm (5 × 3 1/4 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
210970
Art Historical Context
Theodore Roussel's *The Sign of White Horse Parson's Green* (1906) captures a charming slice of Edwardian London life through the lens of a neighborhood pub sign. Nestled in the leafy suburb of Parson's Green in Fulham, White Horse pub was a local landmark, and Roussel, a British artist of French descent, delighted in documenting such everyday scenes. Influenced by James McNeill Whistler and the Aesthetic movement, Roussel favored intimate, atmospheric prints that elevated the ordinary, blending precision with subtle tonal beauty. This etching, executed in black ink with graphite accents on l...
About the Artist
Theodore Roussel · 1847–1926
Theodore Casimir Roussel was born on 23 March 1847 in Lorient, Brittany, France, into a naval family. After serving in the Franco-Prussian War, he began painting in 1872 as an entirely self-taught artist, initially rendering scenes of daily life in the meticulous style of the Old Masters. In 1878, he settled permanently in London, where he immersed himself in the vibrant British art scene. There, ...