Too Demanding (Exigeante)

Art Historical Context

Albert Besnard's *Too Demanding (Exante)*, created in 1900, the elegance of French fin-de-siècle artistry through the intimate medium of etching. This print, measuring a modest plate size of 14 x 11.1 cm on a larger sheet of 45 x 31.6 cm, showcases Besnard's mastery as a painter-turned-printmaker. A prominent French artist (1849–1934) and president of the Société des Beaux-Arts, Bes was renowned for his fluid, decorative style blending Symbolism with emerging modernist influences, often exploring themes of femininity and emotion in his portraits. Etching allowed Besnard to achieve exquisite detail and tonal richness, as acid etches intricate lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. Here, the choice of Van Gelder Zonen wove paper—a premium Dutch handmade sheet known for its smooth texture and durability—enhances the print's velvety blacks and subtle gradations, making it a collector's gem from the Belle Époque era. Generously gifted to the National Gallery of Art by Mr. and Mrs Daniel Bell in honor of the museum's 50th anniversary, this work in the Prints department invites visitors to ponder the "demanding" gaze of its subject, reflecting the cultural fascination with poised yet intense female figures at the dawn of the 20th century.

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...