Who painted Le Hibou (The Owl)?

Le Hibou (The Owl) was painted by Félix-Hilaire Buhot in 1883.

Where can I see Le Hibou (The Owl)?

Le Hibou (The Owl) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Le Hibou (The Owl)?

Le Hibou (The Owl) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Le Hibou (The Owl)

Félix-Hilaire Buhot , 1883

Le Hibou (The Owl) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Félix-Hilaire Buhot. It dates from 1883 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s print *Le Hibou* (The Owl) was produced in 1883.

About this work

Overview

Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s print *Le Hibou* (The Owl) was produced in 1883.

Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s print *Le Hibou* (The Owl) was produced in 1883. Executed on wove paper, the work combines etching, drypoint, aquatint, and salt‑ground techniques, enriched with burnishing and roulette to create a layered surface in black and brown inks. The composition is densely populated, featuring an owl perched on an open book, a diminutive cellist, a distant ship, a church, and a crowd of tiny figures, all rendered with a slightly worn edge that suggests frequent handling.

Subject & Meaning

At the centre of the image, the owl rests on a volume bearing the inscription “PAUCA PAUCIS,” a phrase that may allude to scholarly pursuits or the folly of excessive reading. The surrounding miniature figures and architectural elements generate a whimsical, dream‑like atmosphere, inviting viewers to contemplate the relationship between knowledge, imagination, and the everyday world.

Technique & Style

Buhot employed a complex combination of intaglio processes. Etching provides the primary outlines, while drypoint adds rich, velvety lines. Aquatint and salt‑ground methods generate tonal variations, and selective burnishing alongside roulette work creates smooth, glossy areas that contrast with the textured grain of the paper. This multilayered approach yields a dense, atmospheric surface characteristic of late‑19th‑century French printmaking.

History & Provenance

Created in 1883, *Le Hibou* entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains on view. The print’s acquisition reflects the museum’s commitment to representing the breadth of French graphic art from the period, and it stands as a documented example of Buhot’s experimental print techniques.

Context

Buhot worked during a time when French artists were expanding the expressive possibilities of printmaking, experimenting with mixed intaglio methods to achieve greater depth and nuance. *Le Hibou* exemplifies this spirit of innovation, aligning with contemporaneous trends that favored intricate, narrative scenes rendered with technical virtuosity.