Artwork Page for Gust of Wind on the Poplars

Details / Information for Gust of Wind on the Poplars

Gust of Wind on the Poplars

c. 1873–80

Auguste Allongé

(French, 1833–1898)
Culture
France
Medium
charcoal on wove paper
Measurements
Matted: 47.5 x 75.9 cm (18 11/16 x 29 7/8 in.); Sheet: 33 x 62.2 cm (13 x 24 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Whitehill Art Purchase Endowment Fund 2023.112
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Auguste Allongé was known for the complex charcoal techniques used in this drawing, and in fact derived a large part of his fame from Le Fusain, a manual for drawing with charcoal published in 1873 and translated into several languages over the following decade.

Description

At a time when most landscape artists favored dramatic Italian views, Auguste Allongé depicted the terrain of his native France and especially the forest of Fontainebleau, outside Paris. This sheet shows poplar trees along a river, bending slightly with the suggestion of a breeze. Allongé worked traditionally with charcoal, drawing on paper, but also removed the material throughout using a stump to create highlights and dramatic tonal variation.
A horizontally oriented charcoal drawing depicts a river landscape beneath a turbulent, clouded sky. In the foreground, dark rocks and reeds line the water's edge. Tall, spindly poplar trees, rendered with dense charcoal strokes, lean toward the right from a central bank. Their forms cast long, shimmering reflections across the river's surface. Smudged and sharp marks create textured foliage and atmospheric clouds, while a signature sits in the lower left.

Gust of Wind on the Poplars

c. 1873–80

Auguste Allongé

(French, 1833–1898)
France

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