A self-taught printmaker who lived a bohemian life, Bresdin was known mostly to other artists and connoisseurs. He was intrigued by conflict, both outer--he followed reports of France's involvement in the Algerian and Crimean Wars--and inner, which earned him the admiration of Odilon Redon. While living in Toulouse between 1851 and 1862, Bresdin refined his printmaking technique. Here, he drew in thin pen lines similar to those of an engraving on a card with an embossed border, mimicking the appearance of a mass-produced image. -- Exhibition Label, from "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection"