Self-Portrait, 3rd plate

Legros employed drypoint to create dense, velvety lines by scratching directly into the copper plate, producing rich, soft shadows. Etching provided finer, controlled contours. The combination allowed for both precision and spontaneity: the beard and brow are rendered with scratchy, overlapping strokes, while the eyes and nose are defined with sharper, deliberate marks. The blank plate surrounding the face heightens the intimacy of the image.

This print is the third in a series of self-portraits Legros made during his tenure at the Slade School of Art, where he taught printmaking from the 1870s. It was likely produced for private circulation among students and peers rather than public sale. The plate was reworked over time, indicating Legros’s iterative approach to his own image, a practice consistent with his pedagogical emphasis on revision and technical experimentation.

In late 19th-century Britain, etching was experiencing a revival as artists sought to move beyond mass-produced reproductive prints. Legros, trained in France but active in London, became a central figure in this movement. His self-portraits, including this one, contributed to a broader reevaluation of printmaking as a legitimate medium for personal expression, aligning with European trends in artistic introspection.

Legros’s *Self-Portrait, 3rd plate* exemplifies the shift toward artist-led printmaking in Britain. His technical rigor and emphasis on direct, expressive line influenced a generation of British etchers. Though not widely exhibited in his lifetime, the work remains a key example of how printmaking could convey psychological depth, helping to elevate the medium’s status in academic and artistic circles.