Artwork

Les Esprits des Villes Mortes (Spirits from the Cities of the Dead)

Les Esprits des Villes Mortes (Spirits from the Cities of the Dead) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Félix-Hilaire Buhot. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1885, Les Esprits des Villes Mortes is a print by French artist Félix‑Hilaire Buhot.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1885, Les Esprits des Villes Mortes is a print by French artist Félix‑Hilaire Buhot. Executed on laid paper, the work combines several intaglio processes—etching, roulette, drypoint, lift‑ground, aquatint, as well as scraping and burnishing—to produce a complex, layered image.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents a twilight cityscape shrouded in heavy clouds. In the foreground a dense crowd gathers, while a solitary cross rises near the centre, and a dominant building looms in the distance. The overall tone is one of quiet melancholy, inviting contemplation of loss and the passage of time.

Technique & Style

Buhot’s use of multiple intaglio methods creates a rich surface texture. Etching and drypoint define the architectural outlines, whereas aquatint and lift‑ground areas generate soft tonal washes that suggest atmospheric depth. Scraping and burnishing further modulate highlights, giving the scene a nuanced, almost tactile quality.

History & Provenance

First issued in the late nineteenth century, the print has been documented in several catalogues of Buhot’s oeuvre. It remains in the collections of European print rooms and occasionally appears in exhibitions focused on French Symbolist printmaking, reflecting its continued relevance to scholars of the period.