Artwork
Roundel Portrait of a Girl
Roundel Portrait of a Girl is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Eugène Grasset. It dates from 1879 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Roundel Portrait of a Girl is a print created by Eugène Samuel Grasset in 1879 using lithography with hand-coloring on wove paper.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts a young girl in profile, wearing a high-necked dress with a ruffled collar, set against a backdrop of dark leaves and yellow flowers. The muted color palette emphasizes the girl's features and the surrounding foliage.
Technique & Style
Grasset employed a combination of lithography and hand-coloring in green, black, and gold to achieve the portrait's decorative and stylized effect. The use of muted colors and subtle sheen on the flowers adds to the overall aesthetic.
Context
The work reflects the influence of Romanticism, a movement characterized by its emphasis on emotion and beauty. Grasset's style, as seen in this portrait, would later contribute to the development of Art Nouveau design.
Artist & collection
Artist
Eugène Samuel Grasset (French pronunciation: ; 25 May 1845 – 23 October 1917) was a Swiss decorative artist who worked in Paris, France in a variety of creative design fields during the Belle Époque.
