The Willows at Mottiaux
Medium
Etching on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 20.3 × 29.5 cm (8 × 11 5/8 in.); Sheet: 29.7 × 45.3 cm (11 3/4 × 17 7/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
70259
Art Historical Context
Félix Henri Bracquemond *The Willows at Mott* (1868) is a masterful etching that captures the graceful sway of willows in a tranquil landscape, likely inspired by the French countryside near Mottiaux. Printed on cream laid paper, intaglio work measures 20.3 × 29.5 cm for the image, inviting viewers into a moment of natural harmony during France's Second Empire era. Bracquemond, a pioneering printmaker (18331914), was a key figure in the mid-19th-century etching, blending meticulous linework with atmospheric depth reminiscent of Rembrandt while foreshadowing Impressionist interests in light and...
About the Artist
Félix Henri Bracquemond · 1833–1914
Félix Henri Bracquemond was born in Paris in 1833 and came of age during one of the most transformative periods in French art history. He trained primarily as an engraver and etcher, studying under Joseph Guichard before finding his true calling in printmaking. His technical mastery of etching quickly distinguished him among his contemporaries, and he formed lasting friendships with Édouard Manet,...