Artwork
Vase with Grotesques (Le vase aux masques)
Vase with Grotesques (Le vase aux masques) 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
Vase with Grotesques is an etching created by Alphonse Legros in 1874. The work showcases Legros' skill in graphic art, a medium he helped revive in Britain through his teaching.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a vase adorned with grotesque masks, suggesting the vase may symbolize something hidden or mysterious. The masks are rendered in a blurry, melting manner, adding to the enigmatic quality.
Technique & Style
Legros employed the etching technique, pushing ink into lines to create texture. The resulting print features scratchy, uneven lines, giving it a rough, sketchy feel characteristic of the medium.
History & Provenance
Alphonse Legros, born in France in 1837, created this work after settling in London in 1863, where he became a naturalized British citizen.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
Two Ornamental Bands with Chained Leopards and Eagles
Ewer
Grotesque Heads
Studies for Dorchester House
Ornamental Sketches with Grotesque Masks
Sheath with Venus and Eros
Bas-relief depicting a Gorgon Head in terra cotta
Fountain: Grotesque, Children and Basin (Une fountaine: Masque, enfants et bassin)
A Decorative Sculpture with a Woman Seen from Behind
Ornament Panel: Two Sphinxes Supporting Shields
Ornament of Satyr's Head and Wreath
Untitled