Artwork
Apeáronse junto à la fuente...
Apeáronse junto à la fuente... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Célestin Nanteuil. It dates from 1855 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1855, this color lithograph by French artist Célestin Nanteuil portrays a gathering of figures beside a rocky waterfall and fountain. Rendered on wove paper, the print captures a moment of interaction among travelers, highlighted by a man in a wide-brimmed hat conversing with a woman in a long dress, while others observe or tend a lantern.
Subject & Meaning
The composition suggests a narrative pause during a journey, with the title alluding to a shared episode among a traveling party. The arrangement of characters around the water source evokes themes of rest, companionship, and the interplay between human activity and natural surroundings.
Technique & Style
Executed in the lithographic process, Nanteuil employed multiple color plates to achieve tonal variation. Subtle shading delineates light falling on the figures and the surrounding rocks, while the use of broad washes conveys atmospheric depth, characteristic of Romantic sensibilities in mid‑nineteenth‑century French printmaking.
History & Provenance
Nanteuil, trained at the École des Beaux‑Arts under Eustache‑Hyacinthe Langlois and later in the studio of Dominique Ingres, produced this work during his active period as a painter, engraver, and illustrator. The print has remained in the public domain, circulating in collections that document French Romantic graphic art.
Context
The lithograph reflects the Romantic era’s fascination with picturesque landscapes and emotive human scenes. Its depiction of a natural waterfall aligns with contemporary interests in the sublime, while the intimate grouping of figures mirrors the period’s focus on narrative storytelling within visual art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Célestin-François Nanteuil-Lebœuf, known as Célestin Nanteuil (French pronunciation: ; 11 July 1813 – 6 September 1873), was a French painter, engraver and illustrator closely tied to the Romantic movement in France.
