The Triumph of Death: After the Battle (Le triomphe de la mort: Apres le combat)
1826 to 1850
Medium
etching
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
1955.12.2
Art Historical Context
In the National Gallery of Art's collection, *The Triumph of Death: After Battle (Le triomphe de la mort Apres le combat)* as a haunting etching by French-born artist Alphonse Legros, created between 1826 and1850. This print, generously gifted by George Matthew Adams in memory of his mother Lydia Havens Adams, captures grim aftermath of conflict through Legros's masterful use of etching—a meticulous intaglio technique where acid bites into a metal plate to create intricate, tonal lines. Etchings like this were prized in the 19th century for their ability to reproduce dramatic, detailed imagery...
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...