Modern Masks

1889·Photogravure in dark brown retouched with soft varnish (vernis mou), roulette and blue handcoloring on thick cream wove paper·Image: 29 × 17.3 cm (11 7/16 × 6 13/16 in.); Plate: 34.9 × 24 cm (13 3/4 × 9 1/2 in.); Sheet, folded: 45.8 × 34.6 cm (18 1/16 × 13 5/8 in.)

Catalogue

Year: 1889
Medium: Photogravure in dark brown retouched with soft varnish (vernis mou), roulette and blue handcoloring on thick cream wove paper
Dimensions: Image: 29 × 17.3 cm (11 7/16 × 6 13/16 in.); Plate: 34.9 × 24 cm (13 3/4 × 9 1/2 in.); Sheet, folded: 45.8 × 34.6 cm (18 1/16 × 13 5/8 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Félicien Rops

Artist

Félicien Rops

Painting

Félicien Rops was a Belgian printmaker and painter who specialized in etching and lithography, producing darkly imaginative works that combined fin-de-siècle decadence with technical virtuosity. Active from the 1860s onward, he created allegorical and erotic compositions marked by intricate line work and a fascination with mortality, satanism, and feminine transgression. His prints circulated widely across Europe and influenced the Symbolist movement. Based in Namur, Rops worked across religious and profane subject matter with equal technical precision, establishing himself as a master of the copper plate. His legacy rests primarily on his graphic work rather than his paintings.

Namur, Belgium

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