Femme assise, de profil à droite, jouant de l'eventail
Original title: Femme assise, de profil à droite, jouant de l'eventail
kurzbeschreibung
A seated woman in profile facing right, a fan in her hand: this is the subject of François Boucher's sheet. The etching was made in 1726–28 and reprinted as a facsimile in the 1920s. She wears a long-sleeved dress with a heavily folded skirt, her hair gathered in a knot. Kept in black and white, the view underscores the elegance of the Rococo period.
Description
She sits on a piece of furniture that only partly enters the frame, her body turned in profile to the right. A long-sleeved dress with a full, pleated skirt wraps around her, and her hair is twisted into a knot. In her hand rests a fan whose texture is picked out in dotted lines. The background stays minimal, drawing the eye to the figure placed at the center. Light falling from the front sharpens contours and the folds of the fabric.
Context
Boucher etched this sheet in 1726–28, the years in which he was establishing himself as a Rococo painter. In the 1920s the print was reproduced as a facsimile, a sign of later appreciation for his graphic work. Boucher was known for idyllic scenes and elegant figures that matched the taste of the French aristocracy.
Impact
Calm and symmetrical in its layout, the sheet feels elegant and restrained thanks to its delicate linework. The emphasis on fabric folds and the fan gives the scene a tactile quality and carries the viewer into the intimate atmosphere of the eighteenth century.
Technique
The facsimile of an etching was printed in the 1920s. Etching allows fine, dotted lines that render shading and textures precisely. The sheet measures 40 cm in height and 30.9 cm in width, the plate 32.8 x 21.5 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)