Rops, The Moujik

1874 - Etching on Japanese paper Signed, red dry stamp of the artist Gilded wooden frame with stylized Art Deco floral motifs The work of the Belgian engraver Félicien Rops is characterized by a complex aesthetic, mixing beauty and grotesque, sensuality and spirituality. He explores the themes of death, sin, temptation, often represented through enigmatic and sensual female figures. Often represented in Russian literature, painting and music, the moujik is often associated with qualities such as strength, patience, simplicity and closeness to nature. Endowed with a tragic and luminous gaze, this oxymoronic engraving by Rops transports us into the world of Tolstoy's great novels.