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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

The Murder (Le Meurtre)

1885

Albert Besnard

Associated Names

Albert Besnard

Artist, French, 1849 - 1934

The image shows the upper half of a person in a dark setting. The person has distinctive facial features and short, dark hair. They are reclining or seated, possibly leaning over someone else. Their arm is extended downward, holding an object close to them. The person is wearing loose-fitting fabric, and the surroundings indicate a cozy, intimate space. The background is filled with shadows, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

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Artwork overview

Medium

etching and aquatint on green 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: 16.9 x 11.3 cm (6 5/8 x 4 7/16 in.)
sheet: 27.5 x 21.7 cm (10 13/16 x 8 9/16 in.)
Accession Number

1992.59.12
Catalogue Raisonné

Delteil, no. 37, State ii/ix

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bell, Cambridge, MA; gift to NGA, 1992.

Associated Names

Professor and Mrs. Daniel Bell

Exhibition History

2009

The Darker Side of Light: Arts of Privacy, 1850-1900, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; NGA; Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, 2009 - 2010

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

by later hand, lower right in graphite: 5 / 2/9; by later hand, lower right verso in graphite: D. 37

Markings

None.

Watermarks

None.

Wikidata ID

Q75120971

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