Willows of the Mottiaux Islands
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 20.2 × 29.4 cm (7 15/16 × 11 9/16 in.) sheet: 24.2 × 36.5 cm (9 1/2 × 14 3/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Purchased as the Gift of Lawrence Lawver
Accession Number
2022.68.2
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Visitors to the National Gallery of Art can delight in *Willows of the Mottiaux Islands* (1868), a etching by Félix Bracond, a leading French printmaker of the 19th century Bracquemond, often called the "father of modern etching," championed the revival of this intaglio technique during the Second Empire, creating intricate images through acid-bitten plates on laid paper—a textured, handmade support that enhanced the print's tactile depth. Measuring 20.2 × 29.4 cm on the plate, this work captures the graceful sway of willows on mysterious islands, evoking a serene, naturalistic landscape. Etc...
About the Artist
Félix Bracquemond · 1833–1914
French, Paris 1833–1914 Sèvres