Artwork
The Manger (La creche)
The Manger (La creche) 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
The Manger (La crèche) is an 1874 etching by Alphonse Legros, a French-born British artist. This print captures a serene nativity scene through intricate etched lines, characteristic of Legros’s contribution to the revival of etching in Britain.
Subject & Meaning
The etching portrays a humble nativity, focusing on two women in traditional attire, one cradling a wrapped baby while the other reaches out. The scene emphasizes intimacy and devotion, typical of religious depictions of the time, with detailed rendering of hands and the baby’s face.
Technique & Style
Legros employed etching techniques, utilizing acid and needles to create deep, expressive lines. The background’s dense, crisscrossed patterns add texture and heaviness, while strategic shading achieves depth, drawing attention to key elements like the women’s hands and the infant’s face.
History & Provenance
Created in 1874, The Manger reflects Legros’s influence in Britain after his 1863 relocation and subsequent citizenship. His teaching played a pivotal role in the etching revival in the country.
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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.
Woman at the Foot of the Cross (Femme au calvaire)
Baptism
Peasant Woman of Boulogne (Paysanne des environs de Boulogne dite La femme au panier)
Interior of a Church (Interieur d'eglise)
Woman at the Foot of the Cross (Femme au calvaire)
The Apparition
Interior of a Church
Peasants (Paysannes)
Peasants (Paysannes)
The Manger (La creche)