Artwork
The Hare (Le Lièvre)
The Hare (Le Lièvre) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Félix Bracquemond. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1865, *Le Lièvre* is an etching and stipple print on wove paper by French artist Félix Henri Bracquemond.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1865, *Le Lièvre* is an etching and stipple print on wove paper by French artist Félix Henri Bracquemond. The image presents a solitary hare rendered with delicate line work and tonal gradations, exemplifying Bracquemond’s command of the print medium.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a single hare placed against an unadorned background, emphasizing the animal’s form and texture. The straightforward setting invites close observation of the creature’s fur and posture, reflecting a 19th‑century interest in naturalistic study and quiet, everyday subjects.
Technique & Style
Bracquemond employed traditional etching—incising lines into a metal plate—and combined it with stipple, a method of creating tone through closely spaced dots. This hybrid approach yields subtle shading and fine surface detail, allowing the hare’s fur to appear soft while maintaining crisp outlines.
History & Provenance
The print emerged during Bracquemond’s active period of reviving French printmaking, a movement that later attracted figures such as Manet and Degas. While specific ownership records for this particular impression are limited, it is representative of the artist’s broader output that helped reestablish etching as a respected artistic practice in the mid‑1800s.
Context
*Le Lièvre* belongs to a wave of French art that combined technical experimentation with a renewed focus on everyday subjects. Bracquemond’s work intersected with early Japonisme influences, though this print remains firmly rooted in the realist tradition that characterized much of mid‑century French print culture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Félix Henri Bracquemond (French pronunciation: ; 22 May 1833 – 29 October 1914) was a French painter, etcher, and printmaker.
