Who painted Fagot-gatherers (Les fagottiers)?

Fagot-gatherers (Les fagottiers) was painted by Alphonse Legros in 1874.

Where can I see Fagot-gatherers (Les fagottiers)?

Fagot-gatherers (Les fagottiers) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Fagot-gatherers (Les fagottiers)?

Fagot-gatherers (Les fagottiers) is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Fagot-gatherers (Les fagottiers)

Alphonse Legros , 1874

Fagot-gatherers (Les fagottiers) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Alphonse Legros. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1874, *Fagot‑gatherers (Les fagottiers)* is an ink print produced by Alphonse Legros through a combination of etching and drypoint. The work records two laborers bent over as they bind sticks, rendered with brisk, textured lines that convey the physicality of the task.

Subject & Meaning

The composition focuses on ordinary rural workers engaged in the collection of bundled wood, reflecting Legros’s interest in depicting everyday labour and the dignity of manual craft. The figures are shown in profile, their posture emphasizing effort and concentration.

Technique & Style

Legros employed drypoint to incise the plate directly, producing deep, feathered lines that give the image a lively, tactile quality. The etching component adds finer hatching, while the overall handling of line remains quick and sketch‑like, suggesting movement within the static medium.

History & Provenance

Born in France and naturalised as a British citizen after settling in London in 1863, Legros was a pivotal figure in the 19th‑century revival of British etching. His teaching at the Royal Academy helped disseminate the medium, and *Fagot‑gatherers* exemplifies his contribution to that resurgence.

Context

The print belongs to a period when artists increasingly turned to genre scenes of work and rural life, aligning with broader realist tendencies in European art. Legros’s choice of a modest, labor‑intensive subject mirrors contemporary social concerns about the visibility of the working class.