Jupiter and Alcmene Medallion, Sketch for Decoration of a Frame - Theodore Roussel

Gift of Meg and Mark Hausberg

"Jupiter and Alcmene Medallion, Sketch for Decoration of a Frame" by Theodore Roussel (1907–08) Etching in black on cream laid paper.

Commentary

"Jupiter and Alcmene Medallion, Sketch for Decoration of a Frame" by Theodore Roussel (1907–08) 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 expressive work. Themes to notice include etching. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Theodore Roussel is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Theodore Roussel French, worked in England, 1847-1926. The work is cataloged within a England 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 in black on cream laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 3.4 × 8.2 cm (1 3/8 × 3 1/4 in.); Plate: 5.3 × 8.2 cm (2 1/8 × 3 1/4 in.); Sheet: 5.7 × 8.2 cm (2 1/4 × 3 1/4 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/210977

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