Felicien Rops

Felicien Rops was a Belgian artist who spent most of his life in Paris. He worked in many mediums and was also a master printmaker utilizing various techniques. Rops was originally trained in lithography by the University of Brussels, but went on to produces engravings and etchings as well. He was one of the first modern etchers to revive the neglected medium of soft-ground etching, in which the etching ground is melted into and mixed with tallow, producing the effect of lines drawn with a soft pencil or chalk. He also founded the International Society of Etchers and was for a time the vice president of the Free Society of Fine Arts in Brussels.Many of Rops's etchings are deeply erotic and depict an imaginary underworld or subjects of social decadence. His art is dark and surreal, often mingling life, sex and satanic elements. His style is more often described as Decadent, Symbolist, and a precursor to the Expressionist.