Who painted Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists)?

Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists) was painted by Félix-Hilaire Buhot in 1877.

Where can I see Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists)?

Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists)?

Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists) is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists)?

Museum-quality prints of Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists) are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists)

Félix-Hilaire Buhot , 1877

Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Félix-Hilaire Buhot. It dates from 1877 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s print Le retour des artistes (The Return of the Artists), executed in 1877, is an etching combined with aquatint and roulette on a thin sheet of Japanese paper. The work presents a brief, atmospheric view of a rain‑slicked urban street, populated by pedestrians with umbrellas and a horse‑drawn carriage waiting in the distance.

Subject & Meaning

The composition captures a moment of ordinary city life, emphasizing the transient nature of daily routine. Figures move beneath umbrellas while the wet pavement reflects light, suggesting a fleeting, weather‑laden scene that invites contemplation of the anonymity and rhythm of modern urban existence.

Technique & Style

Buhot employed a layered approach: a traditional line etching outlines the forms, while aquatint creates broad tonal washes that render the damp atmosphere. The roulette tool adds stippled texture to the sky and ground, and the overall line work remains loose and sketch‑like, imparting a sense of immediacy and tactile roughness.

History & Provenance

Created in the late nineteenth century, the print reflects Buhot’s interest in contemporary subjects and his experimentation with mixed intaglio processes. It was produced on Japanese paper, a material favored for its smooth surface and ability to receive fine tonal variations, and has since been catalogued among the artist’s early explorations of urban genre scenes.