Intimacy 1889

Paul-Albert Besnard created this drypoint titled ‘Intimacy’. It depicts two figures in an interior. The late nineteenth century in France was a time when printmaking was really taking off, in part because of the ways it lent itself to depictions of modern life. The term ‘intimacy’ in the title, might refer to the informal interior space. But it also suggests a challenge to the more established art institutions of the time by representing a domestic scene. The looser draughtsmanship and intimate subject matter can be seen as a form of progressivism in tension with the more conservative artistic establishment. Besnard also made vibrant paintings, but in this print he is part of a wider movement experimenting with a more subjective and less academic approach to art. Historians interested in the culture of the print, and in the institutions that supported it, can delve into archives of artists' societies, exhibition catalogues, and dealers' records. These can help us appreciate the rich and complex meaning of art like this.