Artwork
Discreet (Discrète)
Discreet (Discrète) is an ink print by Paul-Albert Besnard. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Albert Besnard’s 1900 print titled Discreet (Discrète) is an etching executed in black on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper. The work presents a dimly lit interior where two indistinct figures occupy the space, one holding a candle and the other kneeling in a posture of prayer. A solitary bird perches on a windowsill, observing the scene.
Subject & Meaning
The composition suggests a moment of quiet devotion or contemplation, with the candle’s flame providing the sole source of illumination. The hooded figure’s partially concealed face and the kneeling supplicant evoke themes of secrecy, piety, or introspection, while the bird’s watchful presence adds an ambiguous, perhaps symbolic, element to the otherwise solemn tableau.
Technique & Style
Besnard employed a layered etching process, incising fine lines into a metal plate to generate texture that resembles a storm of strokes across the walls. The dense, tangled marks contrast with the stark brightness of the candlelight, creating a visual tension between darkness and illumination. The use of black ink on a textured paper enhances the work’s atmospheric depth.
History & Provenance
Created at the turn of the twentieth century, Discreet (Discrète) reflects Besnard’s exploration of printmaking during a period when etching was gaining renewed interest among French artists. The piece is catalogued as a print, though specific details of its exhibition history or ownership lineage have not been widely documented.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul-Albert Besnard (1849–1934) was a French artist, born in 7th arrondissement of Paris.
Les Honnêtes femmes; Conférence, Poésies inédites d'Henry Becque; La Parisienne
Charitable
Punctual (Ponctuelle)
Importunate (Importune)
Which One? (Lequel?)
The End (La Fin de Tout)
The End
Dis donc, Bichette... a quoi songes-tu donc...
Love Consecrated (Elle consacre l'amour)
The End (La Fin de Tout)
The Duel (Le duel)
On the Lookout (Aux aguets)