Finding aid for Elle, [1900-1901, printed in 1921] 2022.PR.18
Karen Meyer-Roux
Special Collections
2022
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
Business Number: (310) 440-7390
Fax Number: (310) 440-7780
reference@getty.edu
Contributing Institution: Special Collections
Title: Elle
Creator: Besnard, Paul Albert, 1849-1934
Creator: Vernant, Auguste
Creator: Vitta, Joseph, 1860-1942
Identifier/Call Number: 2022.PR.18
Physical Description: 26 prints
Date (inclusive): [1900-1901, printed in 1921]
Physical Location: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the
catalog record for this collection. Click here for the
access policy .
Abstract: The title of the series of prints,
Elle, refers to Death (La Mort). The series is considered one of Albert Besnard's most significant works in printmaking and depicts
the omnipresence of death among the living.
Physical Description: 26 prints : etchings and aquatints on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; sheets 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Language of Material: Collection material is in French.
Preferred Citation
Albert Besnard,
Elle, [1900-1901, printed in 1921], The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 2022.PR.18.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2022pr18
Scope and Content of Collection
The title of the series of prints,
Elle, refers to Death (La Mort). The series is considered one of Albert Besnard's most significant works in printmaking and depicts
the omnipresence of death among the living.
In France, Death is usually personalized as female and, in this series, Death is shown in several scenes in the disguise of
the mistress of the household, of a courtesan, or of a lover. Death appears in all aspects of daily life, striking when one
least expects it, on the path of a horse rider or as a couple embraces in a garden. One scene is particularly cruel, as Death
stands in front of a mother with two young children on her lap, and the title of the print elucidates what is at stake:
Lequel? (Which One?). In
Après sa visite (After the Visit), a man and a woman hide their faces in despair. On the other hand, in
L'Importune (Importunate), a doctor by a patient's bedside pushes her away. In
Danger passé (Danger Passed), a horse rider continues. Other prints demonstrate the benevolence of Death who can bring relief. In one scene, Death brings
together a couple under her cloak.
In 1900, the French banker, collector, and patron Baron Joseph Vitta (1860-1940) commissioned the series
Elle from Besnard. The series was to include 50 plates, of which only 26 were editioned. (A 27th plate, titled
L'homme suivant la Mort, was realized but destroyed after only two proofs were pulled). Vitta controlled the preliminary drawings, the plates, and
the printed impressions, and limited the size of the edition. The first printing of the series comprised only nine proofs
of each plate. A second state of the series, with the addition of Besnard's monogram, was printed in nineteen impressions
in 1921. An additional set of impressions was offered to the printer of the series, Auguste Vernant. The plates were then
cancelled (impressions of the cancelled plates are at the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris).
Sources consulted:
Coppier.
Les eaux-fortes de Besnard, pages 186-195
Delteil.
Le peintre-graveur illustré (XIXe et XXe siècles), volume 30, no. 131-156
BN. Estampes, IFF après 1800, page 343-344, no. 62
Processing History
Karen Meyer-Roux wrote this finding aid in September 2022.
Acquisition Information
Acquired in 2022.
Related Material
Impressions of the complete set of 26 prints are at:
- National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
- National Gallery, Canada
- British Museum, London
- Bridwell Library, Dallas, Texas
Individual impressions of plates in the series are also held at:
- Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
- Yale University Medical Library
Letters to and/or from Besnard are at:
- National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- Getty Research Library, Accession nos. 870420, 860758, 880233, 2001.M.38
Biographical / Historical
Born in Paris, Albert Besnard entered the École des Beaux-Arts in 1866. He exhibited at the Salon of 1868 and won the Prix
de Rome in 1874. While in Rome, he met Charlotte Dubray (1854-1931), the daughter of the sculptor Vital Dubray (1813-1892),
and a sculptor herself, who benefited from the sponsorship of the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland to study sculpture in Rome.
After their marriage in 1879, the couple moved to London. There, Dubray had numerous contacts and Besnard received numerous
commissions as a portrait painter. He also studied printmaking with Alphonse Legros. Their four children, three sons and a
daughter, became artists. Besnard was the director of the Académie de France in Rome from 1913-1921 and the director of the
École des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1922 to 1932. He became the first painter to be given a state funeral in France.
Arrangement
The prints are listed as in Delteil.
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Digitized Materials
The series of prints was digitized in 2022 and the images are available online: http://hdl.handle.net/10020/2022pr18
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Death
Prints (visual works)
Etchings (prints)
Elle, Series I.
[1900-1901, printed in 1921]
Elle, [1901-1901, printed in 1921] (digitized version)
Physical Description: 26 prints : etchings and aquatints on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; sheets 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
Elle is a series of 26 prints in etching and aquatint on the theme of Death, executed by the French painter, pastellist, and printmaker
Albert Besnard in 1900-1901. The series was commissioned by collector and patron Joseph Vitta, who limited the printing to
two editions of 9 and 19 impressions. The present impressions are of the second edition, printed in 1921, before the copperplates
were cancelled.
The collection was digitized. See http://hdl.handle.net/10020/2022pr18
box 1
Exigeante (Too Demanding)
2022.PR.18-1
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
An elderly painter holding a palette in his right hand sits powerless before a blank canvas. Death, who wears a crown of leaves
and stands behind him, whispers in his ears, leaning over the back of his chair.
At lower right, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
The print is also known as
Le peintre et la Mort (The painter and Death).
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 119 (
Le peintre et la Mort); Delteil 131; IFF 62.
box 1
Dans la foule (In the Crowd)
2022.PR.18-2
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
Death faces the viewer, turning her back to the crowd in the background. She wears a frock coat and is smiling.
At lower right, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
The print is also known as
La foule (The Crowd).
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 120 (
La foule); Delteil 132; IFF 62.
box 1
L'accident (The Accident)
2022.PR.18-3
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A man lies inhert on the ground, as a crowd of onlookers approaches to help him. Death pushes them back, her skeleton arms
spread across.
At lower right, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 121; Delteil 133; IFF 62.
box 1
L'obstacle (The Obstacle)
2022.PR.18-4
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A man riding a horse in the countryside encounters Death on his path. A black bird flies to the right.
At lower center below the hand of Death, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 135; Delteil 134; IFF 62.
box 1
Danger passé (Danger Passed)
2022.PR.18-5
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A man on a horse turns his head, noticing Death behind him, which he has just avoided.
At lower left, the artists' monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 122; Delteil 135; IFF 62.
box 1
L'inconnue (The Unknown Woman)
2022.PR.18-6
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
Dressed and disguised as a courtisan, Death attracts a man who follows her.
At lower left in the center, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 123; Delteil 135; IFF 62.
box 1
L'importune (Importunate)
2022.PR.18-7
Physical Description: 1 print : etching and aquatint in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
Death stands in a bedroom where a doctor is at a patient's bedside. The doctor pushes her aside.
At lower left, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
The print is also known as
Le docteur (The Doctor).
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 124 (
Le docteur); Delteil 137; IFF 62.
box 1
L'énigme (The Enigma)
2022.PR.18-8
Physical Description: 1 print : etching and aquatint in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
The scene takes place in a bedroom where a young woman lying in her bed awakens. Death stands at right in a dark corner of
the room, fleeing the scene.
At lower left, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 125; Delteil 138; IFF 62.
box 1
Le mystère (The Mystery)
2022.PR.18-9
Physical Description: 1 print : etching and aquatint in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
The scene takes place in a bedroom where a woman lies on a bed in disarray. Lit up by the moon seen through a window, Death
stands with a menacing scythe.
At lower left, the artist's monogram barely visible: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 126; Delteil 139; IFF 62.
box 1
Après sa visite (After the Visit)
2022.PR.18-10
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
Death in the form of a skeleton walks away turning her head towards a man and a woman who are crying, holding their head in
despair.
At lower right, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 127; Delteil 140; IFF 62.
box 1
Ponctuelle (Punctual)
2022.PR.18-11
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
The scene takes place in a bedroom where a man lies in his bed. Death approaches him and grabs him by the throat, while looking
up towards a clock.
At lower right, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Arrangement
Bibliography: Coppier 128; Delteil 141; IFF 62.
box 1
Aux aguets (On the Lookout)
2022.PR.18-12
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A young couple embraces in a field full of flowers, unaware of the presence of Death below who holds a menacing scythe.
At lower right, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 129; Delteil 142; IFF 62.
box 1
Le coup de filet (The Haul)
2022.PR.18-13
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A figure lies inert on the sand before an ocean, while Death carries triumphantly a fishing net.
At lower left, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
The print is also known as
La pêche.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 130; Delteil 143; IFF 62.
box 1
Musicienne (Musician)
2022.PR.18-14
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A young girl laments, seated with her head leaning on her hands, while Death plays the harp surrounded by crows.
At lower left, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 131; Delteil 144; IFF 62.
box 1
Le vertige (Vertigo)
2022.PR.18-15
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
The scene takes place outdoors, where a man is about to fall down from a tower, Death lying below, eager to catch him.
At lower right below the feet of Death, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 132; Delteil 145; IFF 62.
box 1
Lequel? (Which One?)
2022.PR.18-16
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A mother is seen holding two young children on her lap in front of a fireplace. Death enters the room and hesitates between
the two children, as the title suggests,
Lequel? (Which One?).
At upper left on the mantel of the fireplace, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 133; Delteil 146; IFF 62.
box 1
La possession (Possession)
2022.PR.18-17
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
The scene takes place in a bedroom where two lovers are being separated by Death. Death pushes the man away with her foot
and embraces the woman who is lying naked on the bed.
At lower left, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 134; Delteil 147; IFF 62.
box 1
Discrète (Discreet)
2022.PR.18-18
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
The scene takes place in a bedroom where a woman lies in bed, asleep by a candle light and unaware of Death who steps away
discreetly and silently.
At lower center on the sheets of the bed, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: Besnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 142; Delteil 148; IFF 62.
box 1
Le duel (The Duel)
2022.PR.18-19
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A dualist falls into the arms of a witness, while on the right side of the composition, a doctor kneels on the ground, frantically
searching through his medical utensils in a state of urgency. Death stands triumphantly with a sword in her right hand.
At lower left, the artist's monogram: AB. Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 137; Delteil 149; IFF 62.
box 1
La présentation (The Presentation)
2022.PR.18-20
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A young woman curtsies before Death, who stands at left, disguised as the mistress of the house. The young woman is presented
to Death by her mother before a crowd of onlookers.
At lower center below the dress of the young woman, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
The print is also known as
Le monde.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 138; Delteil 150; IFF 62.
box 1
L'orgie (The Orgy)
2022.PR.18-21
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
Set against the backdrop of a nightime scene, the print features a nude woman being held by a crouching man. Her gaze is directed
toward another man who is raising his glass cheerfully, suggesting a scene of uninhibited pleasure and debauched atmosphere.
In the foreground, Death reclines joyfully in a rocking chair.
At lower left corner, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
The print is also known as
La débauche.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 139; Delteil 152; IFF 62.
box 1
Charitable
2022.PR.18-22
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
The scene takes place in a cottage in disarray, open to the cold wind on a snowy winter day. The atmosphere is one of desolation.
A young woman lays on a straw bed, appearing very pale and frail, while Death embraces her, providing her a sense of relief
and solace.
At lower left corner, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
The print is also known as
La mort compatissante.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 140; Delteil 152; IFF 62.
box 1
Coquette
2022.PR.18-23
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
The scene takes place in a bedroom. An ardent young man falls to his knees, pleading with Death who is disguised as a young
elegantly dressed woman. The print's titles
Coquette and
Elle se refuse suggest that despite the young man's fervent appeal, Death refuses his pleas.
At lower left, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
The print is also known as
Elle se refuse.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 141; Delteil 153; IFF 62.
box 1
L'avertissement (The Warning)
2022.PR.18-24
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
A couple embraces on a bench in a garden in the shade of trees, while Death ominously appears, holding a scythe in her left
hand.
At lower center, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 136; Delteil 154; IFF 62.
box 1
Elle consacre l'amour (Love Consecrated)
2022.PR.18-25
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
In the scene, a couple that was embracing finds refuge under Death's protective cloak.
At lower left corner, the artist's monogram: AB. Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 143; Delteil 155; IFF 62.
box 1
Indifférente (Indifferent)
2022.PR.18-26
Physical Description: 1 print : etching in black ink on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper ; plate 14 x 11 cm, sheet 45.1 x 32.1 cm.
Scope and Contents
Death is depicted as a ruthless force, trampling over the body of a man who lies on the ground in the middle of a country
road.
At lower left, the artist's monogram: AB.
Signed by the artist in graphite at lower right below the image: ABesnard.
Bibliography
Bibliography: Coppier 144; Delteil 156; IFF 62.
