Félicien Rops, Felicien Rops

Félicien Rops (Félicien Victor Joseph Rops; 1833 – 1898) was a Belgian artist known for his association with Symbolism and the Parisian Fin de siècle. He was a painter, illustrator, caricaturist, and a prolific and innovative printmaker, particularly in intaglio, which includes etching and aquatint. His work often depicted erotic and Satanic themes. Rops was also a pioneer in Belgian comics. He was closely associated with the literary movement of Symbolism and Decadence. He mastered a multitude of printmaking techniques, including etching, lithography, pen-and-ink drawing, aquatint, mezzotint, and heliogravure. He often combined soft-ground etching – a technique practised by few artists of his day – with mezzotint or aquatint and sometimes added hand-colouring to his plates.