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Open 10:00–5:00

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
America’s 250th

Celebrating American art and artists
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Leda Sleeping (Léda s'endort)

1913

Albert Besnard

Associated Names

Albert Besnard

Artist, French, 1849 - 1934

This is an image of two swans. The drawing shows two swans nestled together in a field of cross-hatching lines, providing texture to the scene. The use of line work captures the forms of the swans' bodies and necks. The contrast between the light areas depicting the swans and the dark background enhances the focus on the birds. The composition conveys a moment of intimacy between the two creatures.

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Artwork overview

Medium

etching in black on laid paper
Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bell, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Dimensions

plate: 10.9 x 13.8 cm (4 5/16 x 5 7/16 in.)
sheet: 14.5 x 18.6 cm (5 11/16 x 7 5/16 in.)
Accession Number

1990.95.33
Catalogue Raisonné

Delteil, no. 173, State only
Series Title

Petites Voluptes [Del. 169-173]

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

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

Associated Names

Professor and Mrs. Daniel Bell

Bibliography

1906

Delteil, Loys. Le peintre-graveur illustre. 31 vols. Paris: Published by the author, 1906-1926. Reprint. New York: Collectors Editions, Da Capo Press, 1969. Vol. 30 (Albert Besnard) is by Louis Godefroy.

Inscriptions

below platemark, lower right in graphite: ABesnard

Markings

None.

Watermarks

None.

Wikidata ID

Q74885708

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