A Swarm of Flies above a Spider's Web

Alexandre-Louis Leloir French

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Trained as a history painter, Leloir eventually abandoned academic, historical subjects in favor of genre scenes and book illustrations. He also founded the Société des Aquarellistes Français (Society of French Watercolorists). This delicate study contrasts the airy two-dimensional form of the spider’s web anchoring the lower left corner with the lifelike swarm of flies above, their size varied to suggest their placement in space, some nearer and some farther from the viewer.

A Swarm of Flies above a Spider's Web, Alexandre-Louis Leloir (French, Paris 1843–1884 Paris), Pen and brown ink with graphite on chine collé

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