Rodolphe Bresdin, The Bather and Time, 1856, pen and black ink on tan tracing paper, mounted on cream wove paper, 4 in. x 2 13/16 in. (10.2 cm x 7.1 cm), Rodolphe Bresdin, one of the most visionary and eccentric graphic artists of the nineteenth century, was admired by the likes of Victor Hugo and Charles Baudelaire. This pairing of a preparatory drawing from 1856 and the related lithograph, published in Toulouse the following year, reveals the artist's process. The drawing is a quick, energetic working study. It depicts a young woman bathing in a pond as Death observes time running out. Several differences between the drawing and the print can be noted. In the latter, the viewpoint is higher and more distant, the landscape more expansive and atmospheric, and the vegetation lusher. The drawing is made on tan tracing paper, which Bresdin used frequently to transfer motifs: either to copy details from a source, to keep a record of a highly finished drawing, or, as most probably in this instance, to transfer a compositional idea and then refine it.
Keywords:
Rodolphe Bresdin, Bather, Time, 1856, pen, black ink, tan tracing paper, mounted, cream wove paper, 4 . x 2 13/16, 10.2 cm x 7.1 cm, Rodolphe Bresdin, visionary, eccentric graphic artists, nineteenth century, admired, likes, Victor Hugo, Charles Baudelaire., pairing, preparatory drawing, 1856, related lithograph, published, Toulouse, following year, reveals, artist's process., drawing, quick, energetic working study., depicts, young woman bathing, pond, Death observes time running out. Several differences, drawing, print, noted., latter, viewpoint, higher, distant, landscape, expansive, atmospheric, vegetation lusher., drawing, tan tracing paper, Bresdin, frequently, transfer motifs, copy details, source, keep, record, highly finished drawing, instance, transfer, compositional idea, refine
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