Who painted Feuillets d'album (Donkey Sketch)?

Feuillets d'album (Donkey Sketch) was painted by Félix-Hilaire Buhot in 1872.

Where can I see Feuillets d'album (Donkey Sketch)?

Feuillets d'album (Donkey Sketch) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Feuillets d'album (Donkey Sketch)?

Feuillets d'album (Donkey Sketch) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Feuillets d'album (Donkey Sketch)

Félix-Hilaire Buhot , 1872

Feuillets d'album (Donkey Sketch) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Félix-Hilaire Buhot. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s etching titled *Feuilverts d’album (Donkey Sketch)* dates from 1872.

About this work

Overview

Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s etching titled *Feuilverts d’album (Donkey Sketch)* dates from 1872. Executed on Japanese paper, the work presents a bustling river scene populated by a donkey burdened with a wooden crate, several figures on foot and horseback, and a distant vessel on the water, all rendered in a lively, sketch‑like manner.

Subject & Meaning

The composition captures a moment of rural activity: a donkey trudges forward while a woman supports herself on a staff, another woman guides a horse, and a rider on horseback moves through the background. The inclusion of weathered architecture and a ship suggests a transitional space between land and river, hinting at the everyday labor and travel of the period.

Technique & Style

Buhot employed the etching medium on Japanese paper, favoring swift, gestural lines that convey motion and texture. The donkey’s uneven load, the ragged waves, and the loosely drawn structures are achieved through rough, expressive strokes, emphasizing immediacy over polished detail.

History & Provenance

Created in 1872, the print belongs to the later phase of Buhot’s career, when he explored more spontaneous drawing methods. It has been documented in several collections of 19th‑century French prints, though specific ownership records remain limited.

Context

During the early 1870s, French artists increasingly experimented with Japanese paper and printing techniques, integrating Eastern materials into Western practices. Buhot’s choice of this substrate aligns with the broader Japonisme trend influencing French printmakers of the era.