Traveler taking Shelter (Le voyageur a l'abri)
1826 to 1850
Medium
etching and drypoint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.5378
Art Historical Context
In the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection, *Traveler Taking Shelter (Le voyageur à l'abri)* by Alphonse Legros captures a poignant moment of respite amid life's journeys. Created between 1826 and 1850, this print reflects the 19th-century fascination with everyday human experiences, rendered through Legros's masterful command of line and tone. As a French artist who later became a pivotal figure in Britain's etching revival, Legros drew inspiration from Rembrandt and the old masters, blending realism with subtle emotional depth. The work's medium—etching combined with drypoint—hig...
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...