Victor Hugo, 1st plate 

Alphonse Legros etched this plate of Victor Hugo, employing a network of fine lines to create light and shadow. The composition is straightforward: Hugo’s head and shoulders centered against a subtly lined background. The etching’s strength lies in its rigorous mark-making, and the artist’s ability to suggest form and depth through the density and direction of the etched lines. The textures of Hugo’s hair, beard, and suit are all rendered through distinct patterns of hatching and cross-hatching. These techniques, deeply rooted in printmaking traditions, allow the artist to capture Hugo’s likeness. Legros engages with realism, but through the selective and controlled use of line. The portrait embodies a tension between precision and expressiveness. It invites us to consider how the technical aspects of printmaking contribute to the portrait's overall impact, and how such formal choices can evoke both the physical presence and the intellectual weight of its subject.