Artwork
The Orgy (L'orgie)
The Orgy (L'orgie) 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
The Orgy (L'orgie) is an etching by Albert Besnard, created in 1900 on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a chaotic crowd of figures entangled in dark, swirling lines, with faces variously visible, hidden, or averted, conveying a sense of turmoil.
Technique & Style
Besnard employed drypoint to achieve deep, textured marks, evident in the thick, scratchy lines that imbue the image with a sense of rough, urgent energy.
Context
As an etching, The Orgy reflects Besnard's use of printmaking techniques characteristic of his time, involving the incision of a metal plate to produce the printed image.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul-Albert Besnard (1849–1934) was a French artist, born in 7th arrondissement of Paris.
The Duel (Le duel)
The Accident (L'accident)
"Was der blitz! Das ist ja die gustel von blasewitz" ("What's That! It's Gustel von Blasewitz")
"Einer dirne schön gesicht muss allgemein sein wie's sonnenlicht" ("A Pretty Girl's Face is Like the Sunshine")
The Warning (L'avertissement)
In the Crowd (Dans la foule)
Possession (La possession)
Importunate (Importune)
Portrait of the Artist and His Model
The Presentation (La présentation)
Punctual (Ponctuelle)
After the Visit (Après sa visite)