Artwork
Birth Announcement for Anne-Élisabeth Besnard (Carte de naissance d'Anne-Élisabeth Besnard)
Birth Announcement for Anne-Élisabeth Besnard (Carte de naissance d'Anne-Élisabeth Besnard) is an ink print by Paul-Albert Besnard. It dates from 1922 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Albert Besnard’s 1922 print, titled Birth Announcement for Anne‑Élisabeth Besnard, presents a domestic scene rendered in etching and drypoint on laid paper. The composition centers on a woman in a long dress cradling an infant, set against a dim interior illuminated by a window whose vertical bars suggest rain or blinds. The work’s tonal range and textural detail convey a quiet, intimate moment.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a mother‑child interaction, with the mother’s face softened and the baby gazing upward, emphasizing tenderness and the immediacy of birth. The subdued lighting and the blurred facial features focus attention on the relational gesture rather than individual identity, suggesting a universal celebration of new life within a private, domestic sphere.
Technique & Style
Besnard employed a combination of etching, drypoint, and aquatint to achieve varied line qualities and tonal depth. Sharp, incised lines define the folds of the dress and the hair’s texture, while the drypoint burr creates softer, velvety shadows in the background. The laid paper’s visible grain contributes a subtle, tactile quality to the overall composition.
History & Provenance
Created in 1922, the print was produced as a personal announcement of the birth of Besnard’s daughter, Anne‑Élisabeth. It reflects the artist’s practice of using printmaking for intimate, commemorative purposes, and it remains part of the family’s documented archive, illustrating the intersection of private life and artistic production in the early twentieth century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul-Albert Besnard (1849–1934) was a French artist, born in 7th arrondissement of Paris.
The Sick Mother (La mère malade)
Sickness (La Maladie)
Témoins à l'audience (1ère planche) (Evidence at the Hearing) (first plate)
Greeting Grandmother (Le Bonjour à la Grand-mère)
La repos en Egypte (The Rest in Egypt)
Le repos en Egypte (The Rest in Egypt)
Greeting Grandmother (Le Bonjour à la Grand-mère)
Témoins à l'audience (2e planche) (Evidence at the Hearing) (second plate)
Susanna im Bade (Susanna in the Bath)
The Murder (Le Meurtre)
The End
Greeting Grandmother (Le Bonjour à la Grand-mère)