The Sleeping Model

Art Historical Context

**The Sleeping Model**, created by French artist Albert Bes in 1885, captures an intimate moment of repose with a slumbering figure, likely drawn from the artist's studio life. Besnard, a prominent painter and printmaker of the late 19th century, was celebrated for his expressive and atmospheric works that bridged Realism and emerging Symbolist tendencies. This etching reflects the era's fascination with the female form in art studios, where models posed for academic studies, evoking a sense of quiet vulnerability and beauty. Printed on luxurious ivory wove paper, the work showcases Besnard's mastery of mixed intaglio techniques: etching for precise lines, drypoint for velvety burr textures, aquatint for subtle tonal gradations mimicking washes, and roulette for soft, granular effects. These methods allowed for rich contrasts and depth on a modest scale—image 17.6 × 23.6 cm—transforming a technical print into a painterly poem of light and shadow. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this piece highlights the 1880s revival of printmaking in France, where artists like Besnard elevated etching to rival painting in nuance and emotion. A testament to innovation, it invites visitors to appreciate the tactile magic of 19th-century graphic arts.

About the Artist

Albert Besnard · 1849–1934

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...