Artwork
Storm (Un orage)
Storm (Un 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.
About this work
A storm rolls across a dark sky. Rain falls in thick gray streaks. Lightning splits the clouds above a quiet landscape.
Legros made this print in 1880. Drypoint lets him scratch lines into a metal plate. Ink fills the scratches then presses onto paper. The green tint adds a cold, wet feeling.
Try printing your own drypoint. See Legros, Alphonse.
Overview
Alphonse Legros, a French‑born artist who settled in Britain, produced the print *Storm (Un orage)* in the mid‑1870s. Executed on light‑green paper, the work depicts a turbulent sky pierced by rain and lightning, conveying a sense of atmospheric tension through stark tonal contrasts.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a dark, brooding sky in which heavy gray rain streaks descend, while a flash of lightning cleaves the cloud mass above a tranquil, scarcely detailed landscape. The juxtaposition of violent weather against a quiet ground suggests the fleeting power of nature over human stillness.
Technique & Style
Legros employed drypoint, incising lines directly into a copper plate; ink settled in the burr‑raised edges, producing rich, velvety lines when transferred to paper. The possible addition of etching allowed for finer tonal areas. The choice of light‑green paper enhances the cool, damp atmosphere, reinforcing the stormy theme.
History & Provenance
Created during a period when Legros was instrumental in reviving British etching, the print reflects his broader interest in graphic media. It was likely produced around 1874–1880, a time when the artist was actively experimenting with printmaking techniques and contributing to the medium’s resurgence in the United Kingdom.
Context
In the late nineteenth century, British artists were revisiting traditional print methods while exploring new expressive possibilities. Legros, trained in France and active in London, brought Continental sensibilities to this revival, using atmospheric subjects such as storms to demonstrate the emotive capacity of drypoint and etching.
Legacy
*Storm (Un orage)* exemplifies Legros’s role in re‑establishing drypoint as a serious artistic medium in Britain. The work continues to be referenced in studies of nineteenth‑century printmaking for its effective use of line, tone, and unconventional paper choice to evoke weather’s visceral impact.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
