Félix Bracquemond: Etcher of Birds

Printmaker Félix Bracquemond (1833–1914) ruled the roost in mid-1800s France by reviving interest in etching, a technique made famous by Rembrandt. Bracquemond led the way with his printmaking excellence and innovation, attempting the century’s first color etching and adopting design ideas from Japanese woodcuts, which he is credited with discovering in a Paris shop. But he is perhaps most famous for etching birds, which often act a bit like humans.

More than a dozen bird prints have landed in this exhibition, along with other Bracquemond favorites and pieces from his Japanese-inspired dinner service, which revolutionized the French ceramics industry. Also on view are two rarely seen paintings by his wife, the Impressionist artist Marie Quivoron Bracquemond (1840–1916), including a portrait of Félix in his studio.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.