Alphonse Hirsch

The print Alphonse Hirsch was originally created in 1875, attributed to Edgar Degas and Arthur L. Flory. This collaborative work is classified as a French print, executed using the complex intaglio techniques of drypoint and aquatint on laid paper. Dating precisely to 1875, this piece falls within the period of 1851 to 1875, an era that saw significant artistic upheaval and technical innovation among Parisian graphic artists.

The specific combination of drypoint and aquatint allowed Flory and Degas to achieve a nuanced range of tonal depth and texture. Drypoint, created by scratching lines directly into the copper plate, produces a characteristic burr that yields soft, slightly blurred lines when printed. Aquatint, a process utilizing powdered rosin to create pitted surfaces, enables broad areas of tonal variation akin to a watercolor wash. The integration of these two methods demonstrates the artists' commitment to experimental printmaking, moving beyond traditional etching to create richer, more painterly effects. The notation that this particular impression is a restrike indicates that it was pulled from the original or a modified plate sometime after the initial edition was published.

The mid-1870s marked a pivotal moment in French artistic history, characterized by an increased focus on experimental portraiture and the capturing of immediate, unposed realities, often reflected in the development of prints. Though the sitter, Alphonse Hirsch, is not explicitly defined in the record, this portrait adheres to the era's focus on intimate human study. Works such as this, created by influential figures experimenting with reproducible media, are crucial for understanding the technical evolution of graphic arts during the time. This specific impression of Alphonse Hirsch is part of the distinguished collection of the National Gallery of Art, offering scholars access to high-quality examples of late 19th-century French graphic arts. Due to its age and historical importance, the work often falls within the provisions of public domain standards for scholarly review and digital preservation.