Riverbank (Bord de la riviere) 

Alphonse Legros created this etching, Riverbank, at some point during his career. It depicts a tranquil waterside scene, rendered with a delicate web of lines. Legros was working in France during a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Landscape art served as a nostalgic reminder of rural life. Prints like these were more affordable than paintings and they were marketed to a broad audience. Legros was trained within the academic system, where drawing was considered the foundation of all art. He later moved to London where he taught etching at the Slade School of Fine Art, helping to revive printmaking in Britain. He became an influential figure in the art world, shaping the tastes of collectors and students. To understand Legros’s work more fully, we can research the print market in 19th century Europe, the curriculum of the Slade School, and the changing social attitudes towards the countryside. Art is always a product of its time.