Par ma fenêtre 1893 - 1943

Jean-Louis Boussingault made this lithograph, titled 'Par ma fenêtre', and its moody atmosphere really grabs me. The textures feel almost sculpted, like he’s pushing and pulling the material to find the image. The whole scene is built from soft gradients. Look how the figure in the foreground is a dark, solid mass, contrasted with the hazy cityscape beyond. See how it’s achieved through layers of tone rather than sharp lines? The way the light struggles to break through reminds me of some of Whistler’s nocturnes. It makes the whole piece feel both intimate and distant at the same time. That smokiness in the air might remind you of other artists who played with similar tonal effects, like Odilon Redon. But Boussingault brings his own sensibility to it. It’s all about mood, a quiet reflection on seeing and feeling the world around us.