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This is a drawing of a skeleton walking past a darkly clothed figure leaning against a wall. The image primarily depicts a fully detailed skeleton in the foreground and a darkly clothed, indistinct figure in the background. The scene is composed using dense, crosshatching techniques that add depth and shadow to the artwork. The strokes and deliberate use of light and dark suggest an exploration of themes such as mortality and introspection.
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This is a drawing of a skeleton walking past a darkly clothed figure leaning against a wall. The image primarily depicts a fully detailed skeleton in the foreground and a darkly clothed, indistinct figure in the background. The scene is composed using dense, crosshatching techniques that add depth and shadow to the artwork. The strokes and deliberate use of light and dark suggest an exploration of themes such as mortality and introspection.

National Gallery of Art · Print

After the Visit (Après sa visite)

Albert Besnard

Date
1900
Medium
etching on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 13.9 x 10.9 cm (5 1/2 x 4 5/16 in.) sheet: 45 x 31.8 cm (17 11/16 x 12 1/2 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1990.95.10
Credit line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bell, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Time span
1876 to 1900
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Portfolio and series

Series
Elle [Del. 131-156]

Subjects and terms

  • French
  • etching
  • Death
  • state of being
  • allegory
Provenance

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bell, Cambridge, MA; gift to NGA, 1990.

Inscription

below platemark, center in graphite: ABesnard; lower right in plate: AB

Marks

None.

Watermarks

"VAN GELDER [ZONEN]"

NGA object ID 71636. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.