Artwork
Landscape with Storm (Paysage d'orage)
Landscape with Storm (Paysage d'orage) 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. Created in 1874, *Landscape with Storm* (Paysage d'orage) is an intaglio print that combines etching and dry‑point.
About this work
Overview
The composition is dominated by a restless atmosphere, with light receding toward the right and the surface texture evoking rough ground or churning water.
Created in 1874, *Landscape with Storm* (Paysage d'orage) is an intaglio print that combines etching and dry‑point. The work presents a turbulent natural scene, its darkened trees and swirling sky rendered through layered lines that suggest wind and rain. The composition is dominated by a restless atmosphere, with light receding toward the right and the surface texture evoking rough ground or churning water.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a storm‑laden landscape, emphasizing the power of weather over the land. Jagged trees on the left and a sky filled with tangled, criss‑crossed marks convey a sense of agitation, reflecting the Romantic fascination with dramatic, emotive nature.
Technique & Style
Legros employed both etching and dry‑point on a metal plate, building shadow and texture through successive layers of inked lines. The dry‑point burr creates a velvety darkness, while the etched lines provide finer detail, together producing the dense, atmospheric effect characteristic of late‑19th‑century intaglio work.
History & Provenance
Born in France, Alphonse Legros moved to London in 1863 and later naturalised as a British citizen. By the 1870s he was instrumental in the revival of etching in Britain, and *Landscape with Storm* exemplifies his contribution to the medium during that period.
Context
The print aligns with the Romantic tradition of portraying wild, untamed environments to evoke emotional response. Its dramatic weather motif and emphasis on mood over precise representation echo contemporary literary and artistic trends that celebrated the sublime in nature.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
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