Village (Un village) 

This print, Village, was created by Alphonse Legros, who lived from 1837 to 1911. The monochromatic scene invites us into a world constructed of delicate lines and subtle gradations. Legros' formal use of hatching and cross-hatching evokes a sense of depth and texture, transforming the two-dimensional surface into a landscape that feels both intimate and expansive. Observe how Legros strategically employs line to create a sense of form, delineating the structures of buildings and the contours of the land. These strokes, carefully layered, build up a complex network of light and shadow which suggests the underlying forms and creates a quiet, contemplative mood. Legros offers not just a depiction of a village but an exploration of visual language itself, subtly inviting us to consider how we construct meaning through the arrangement of simple marks on a surface.