Back of a Woman (Dos de Femme)

1889

Albert Besnard

Associated Names
Albert Besnard

Artist, French, 1849 - 1934

The image depicts an artistic rendering of a person's upper body, shown from the back, and without clothing. The person is seated and turned away from the viewer, with their upper torso and head displayed. The head is slightly bent forward and to the side, with long hair that appears loosely gathered, suggesting the style of a bun or ponytail. The lines of the drawing are textured and abstracted, giving a sense of depth and contour to the figure's form. There are no visible facial features due to the angle and style of the depiction. The surrounding area is filled with dense, hatched lines, creating a dark, lightly patterned background that contrasts with the lighter figure. The setting appears to be inside, as indicated by the enclosed space and the straight, horizontal line that may suggest a piece of furniture or architectural detail. There are no other objects or jewelry present in the image.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and roulette on Van Gelder laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bell

  • Dimensions

    plate: 13 x 8.8 cm (5 1/8 x 3 7/16 in.)
    sheet: 17.2 x 13.5 cm (6 3/4 x 5 5/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1993.71.4

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Delteil, no. 84, State only


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Professor and Mrs. Daniel Bell, Cambridge; gift to NGA, 1993.

Associated Names

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

lower right in graphite: ABesnard

Markings

None.

Watermarks

Van Gelder

Wikidata ID

Q75124559

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