La Place Pigalle en 1878
Artist
Félix Hilaire Buhot
(French, 1847-1898)
CultureFrench
Date1878
MediumEtching, aquatint, soft ground etching, and drypoint on laid paper
DimensionsOverall, Image: 9 3/4 × 13 1/4 in. (24.8 × 33.7 cm)
Overall, Paper: 12 1/8 × 17 11/16 in. (30.8 × 44.9 cm)
Overall, Mat: 19 5/8 × 25 9/16 in. (49.8 × 64.9 cm)
Overall, Paper: 12 1/8 × 17 11/16 in. (30.8 × 44.9 cm)
Overall, Mat: 19 5/8 × 25 9/16 in. (49.8 × 64.9 cm)
PortfolioState 4 of 6
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number2016.29
Not on view
DescriptionThis intaglio print on laid paper shows the Place de Pigalle in Paris in 1878, with numerous vignettes of life on the square. Following the artist’s practice the paper was tinted brown to suggest wear and age, imitating the run-down appearance of the image itself.Label TextFélix Hilaire Buhot French, 1847–1898 La Place Pigalle en 1878 Etching, aquatint, soft ground etching, and drypoint on laid paper The hazy appearance of this print is intentional, not due to age. Feliz Hilaire Buhot captures the grit and grime of city life in this Paris street scene. He would often soil his paper with coffee, tinted washes, and actual dirt to achieve this effect. Buhot depicts Place Pigalle, whose cafes were a favorite meeting place for impressionist artists as well as the dancers and actresses that appear in their works. Museum purchase 2016.29
