Fagottist tijdens een repetitie 1874

Felicien Rops created this etching, "Fagottist tijdens een repetitie", distinguished by its network of fine, deliberate lines. Rops masterfully uses hatching to define form and shadow, creating depth and texture across the composition. Notice the way the figure is positioned. The bassoonist sits to the right of a music stand, the eye is drawn across the page by the diagonal thrust of the instrument. This line is anchored by the bassoonist, whose body faces the viewer and gives the work a sense of classical balance. What's intriguing is how Rops destabilizes this balance with the musician's expression and stance. There's a sense of world-weariness conveyed by the man’s posture, contrasting with the refined setting of a rehearsal room, a hint of the Symbolist interest in exploring psychological states through formal means. The artist seems to be suggesting the complexities of human experience.