The Hearing of Qadi
Original title: The Hearing of Qadi
kurzbeschreibung
Claude Augustin Duflos le Jeune produced this etching, The Hearing of the Qadi, in 1746–47. It presents a court scene with figures in oriental dress. Executed as etching and engraving, the sheet measures 6.9 × 13.2 centimetres.
Description
A room with wooden walls and a wooden door provides the setting. In the foreground a man in traditional garb sits on a chair and raises his right hand, while three others dressed similarly stand nearby and seem to talk among themselves. At a table on the left another man sits holding something in his hand. Sparse furniture and curtains fill the space, whose view is bounded by a border.
Context
The Frenchman Duflos le Jeune worked as a copperplate engraver in the eighteenth century, mainly making detailed reproductions. In that era European artists took up oriental subjects more often, drawing inspiration from travel accounts and diplomatic contacts. This print probably belongs to a series of scenes of Ottoman daily life, popular in Rococo Europe.
Impact
Delicate lines and vividly captured figures give the small format a dynamic interaction. The monochrome layout with precise hatching creates a calm yet detailed impression that draws the viewer into the action.
Technique
Etching and engraving are combined here, yielding fine and exact linework. Varying densities of hatching allow textures and shading to be worked out, as seen in the wooden walls and the fabrics of the clothing. The sheet was printed on paper and then trimmed, which likely explains its dimensions.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)