Louis Legrand 1863 - 1951

Louis Legrand was born in Dijon, France, where he attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Soon after moving to Paris, at the age of 21, he became friends with Felicien Rops, from whom he learned etching and engraving techniques.

A resident of Montmartre, Legrand depicted its bohemian life, its women, and its cafes such as the famous Chat Noir. His ballet dancers are among his most well-known works, and his drawings and etchings of can-can girls and the Moulin Rouge were published even before those of Toulouse-Lautrec. From 1884 to 1890, his drawings of political and social satire appeared in the well-known publications of the day, along with those of Forain, Rops, Toulouse-Lautrec, Steinlen, etc. A brief incarceration on charges of obscenity stemming from two drawings, one titled Prostitution, and a mildly erotic caricature of Emile Zola, led him to abandon satirical journalism.

In 1891, Legrand met Gustave Pellet. Pellet was to become one of the turn of the century’s greatest publishers, commissioning some of Toulouse-Lautrec’s most important color lithographs, the great pointillist prints by Signac and Luce, as well as works by Rops, Raffaelli, Maurin, Lunois, and others. Pellet had, however, a particular passion for the work of Legrand, ultimately publishing some 300 prints, and purchasing nearly all of the pastels for his personal collection.

Although Legrand created noteworthy paintings, it was his prints, pastels and drawings, with their mastery of draughtsmanship, technique, and vision which thrust him to the forefront of public regard and made his reputation immense. He was featured in numerous major exhibitions and vast numbers of articles about his work were written throughout his career. Legrand’s preferred medium was that of the aquatint, often with etching and drypoint. The effects he achieved were unrivaled, creating remarkable tonal ranges with unique virtuosity.

The vitality of the graphic arts was greatly diminished in the years following World War I. Legrand chose to recede further and further into seclusion, and died in relative obscurity in 1951.

The work of Louis Legrand holds great historic importance. Although his works are included in most major museum collections, it is only recently that he has been reintroduced to the collecting public, as is the case with many “rediscovered” master printmakers such as Whistler, Fantin-Latour, Tissot, Helleu, Rops, Redon, and Steinlen.