Artwork
La Rieuse: Madame Albert Besnard
La Rieuse: Madame Albert Besnard is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Edmond Aman-Jean. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
La Rieuse: Madame Albert Besnard is a color lithograph executed by Edmond Aman‑Jean in 1897. The work presents a portrait of a woman, rendered in two shades of brown and gold on wove paper. The composition captures the sitter’s head and shoulders turned slightly away, her hair loose and her expression subtly ambiguous.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts Madame Albert Besnard, likely a member of the artistic circle surrounding the painter Albert Besnard. Her slight turn and softened gaze convey a gentle, introspective mood, inviting viewers to contemplate the fleeting nature of laughter and the private moments behind a public smile.
Technique & Style
Aman‑Jean employed a lithographic process that allows the paper’s texture to emerge through the ink, producing a chalk‑like effect. Rough, scratchy lines define the features, while the limited palette of brown tones accented with gold creates a muted yet luminous surface typical of late‑nineteenth‑century French printmaking.
History & Provenance
Created in 1897, the lithograph was part of a series of portrait prints that Aman‑Jean produced for private collectors. It later entered museum collections through acquisition from a private estate, reflecting the work’s continued appreciation among collectors of French Symbolist and Art Nouveau prints.
Artist & collection
