Artwork
La Ronde de Nuit (Night Patrol)
La Ronde de Nuit (Night Patrol) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Félix-Hilaire Buhot. It dates from 1878 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. La Ronde de Nuit, also known as Night Patrol, is a black‑and‑white print produced in 1878 by French artist Félix‑Hilaire Buhot.
About this work
Overview
The composition captures a rainy night, with three figures moving through dimly lit streets under umbrellas, while wet pavement reflects faint light.
La Ronde de Nuit, also known as Night Patrol, is a black‑and‑white print produced in 1878 by French artist Félix‑Hilaire Buhot. Executed on moderately thick beige laid paper, the work combines etching, aquatint, and dry‑point techniques to render a nocturnal street scene. The composition captures a rainy night, with three figures moving through dimly lit streets under umbrellas, while wet pavement reflects faint light.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays a brief moment of urban life after dark: a small group of pedestrians navigate a rain‑slicked thoroughfare, their umbrellas offering scant shelter against the downpour. The obscured architecture and shadowed trees suggest an anonymous cityscape, emphasizing the anonymity and routine of everyday nocturnal activity rather than any specific narrative.
Technique & Style
Buhot employed a combination of etching, aquatint, and dry‑point to achieve a range of tonal values. Quick, gestural lines convey movement, while the aquatint provides soft, atmospheric washes that suggest rain and reflected light. The dry‑point work adds fine, velvety edges, enhancing texture in the wet ground and the edges of the figures.
Context
Created in the late nineteenth century, the print reflects the period’s growing interest in modern urban scenes and the effects of light and weather on everyday life. Artists of the era often used printmaking to explore fleeting moments, and Buhot’s approach aligns with contemporary tendencies toward realism and atmospheric observation.
Artist & collection
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Ex-Libris pour "L'Ensorcelée" (Bookplate for "L'Ensorcelée")
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Gillingham Pier, London [verso]
