Artwork
Milkmaid of Boulogne, 3rd plate (Laitiere a Boulogne)
Milkmaid of Boulogne, 3rd plate (Laitiere a Boulogne) 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
Alphonse Legros produced the intaglio work *Milkmaid of Boulogne, 3rd plate* in 1874. Executed as a combination of etching and dry‑point, the print measures the modest dimensions typical of nineteenth‑century British prints and presents a single figure engaged in a rural chore. The composition is rendered in monochrome, relying on line and tone to convey atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The image centers on a woman bent over a cow, milking it while a bucket catches the flow. She is set against a field of tall grasses and distant trees, suggesting an everyday agrarian scene. Legros’s choice of a domestic laborer reflects his interest in ordinary life and the dignity of work, a theme common in his broader oeuvre.
Technique & Style
Legros employed both etching and dry‑point on a copper plate. Etching provided the fine, cross‑hatching that defines the background foliage, while dry‑point contributed the richer, burr‑laden lines that model the figure and animal. Variation in line weight creates a sense of depth without the use of colour, illustrating the artist’s command of intaglio textures.
History & Provenance
Born in France and naturalised as a British citizen after settling in London in 1863, Legros was instrumental in the revival of British etching through his teaching at the Slade School. *Milkmaid of Boulogne, 3rd plate* was issued as part of a series of prints exploring rural subjects, and it entered public collections during the late nineteenth century, where it remains documented as a representative work of his printmaking phase.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
