Flock of Sheep at the Edge of a Wood - Charles Émile Jacque

Bequest of Lessing Rosenthal

"Flock of Sheep at the Edge of a Wood" by Charles Émile Jacque (1877) Etching, drypoint and aquatint on ivory simili-Japanese paper.

Commentary

"Flock of Sheep at the Edge of a Wood" by Charles Émile Jacque (1877) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressiv e work. Themes to notice include etching. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Charles Émile Jacque is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Charles Émile Jacque French, 1813-1894. The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as etching, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Etching, drypoint and aquatint on ivory simili-Japanese paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 18.3 × 28.6 cm (7 1/4 × 11 5/16 in.); Plate: 19.9 × 30 cm (7 7/8 × 11 13/16 in.); Sheet: 31.7 × 45 cm (12 1/2 × 17 3/4 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include etching. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/71989

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data