← François Vivares

A Man Making Water (18th century)

Original title: A Man Making Water

Artist

François Vivares

Date

18th century

Medium

Etching; possibly New Holl.'s second state of two, but trimmed within the platemark above so number 3 not visible

Dimensions

Sheet (trimmed within platemark above): 3 1/8 × 2 1/16 in. (8 × 5.2 cm) Plate: 3 1/16 × 1 15/16 in. (7.7 × 5 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Harry G. Friedman, 1965

kurzbeschreibung

François Vivares etched the small scene "Ein Mann, der Wasser macht" in the 18th century. It gives us a single figure in traditional dress, driving a thin jet of water ahead of him with a long, curved object. The work is carried out in fine hatching.

Description

The man wears a cap, shirt, trousers and shoes, with a pack or bag slung on his back. His right hand angles the curved object downward so the water shoots out from it. Little surrounds him: bare ground, a few blades of grass. Fine line and cross-hatching give the image its texture. At the bottom appear the signature "F.V. fecit" and the date "1 R 1681".

Context

Vivares, a French engraver, was known above all for his etched landscapes. The sheet belongs to the 18th century, though the date "1 R 1681" may point to an earlier origin. This small, closely observed study was probably either part of a series or conceived as a sheet in its own right.

Impact

Your eye goes first to the arc of water, which links the man to the ground beneath him. The quiet, faintly comic action stays clear and contained thanks to the precise linework. With the setting pared back, the figure's gesture takes over the sheet and lends it an intimate, genre-like character.

Technique

This etching depends on finely bitten lines and hatching. The sheet has been trimmed inside the platemark, which is why the number 3 at the top cannot be seen. It may be the second state of two.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)