Water (18th century)
Original title: Water
kurzbeschreibung
Claude Augustin Duflos le Jeune made this etching and engraving, titled Wasser (L'EAU), in the 18th century. Three children stand on a rock in open country, handling a net and fish; the print combines both intaglio techniques on a single plate.
Description
Three child figures occupy a rocky outcrop in a natural setting. The one in the middle holds a net, while the other two carry fish in their hands. Clouds and mountains close off the pictorial space, and plants and flowers surround the group. Engraved along the lower edge are the title L'EAU and a French poem.
Context
A French engraver, Duflos le Jeune was known for refined reproductive prints as well as his own graphic work. His sheet dates from the 18th century, when allegories of the elements found wide favour in art. Water personified as a child with net and fish carries on the iconographic tradition of the element allegories.
Impact
Delicate lines and abundant detail lend the sheet a playful tone. The interplay between the child figures and their naturalistic surroundings yields the serene, idyllic mood characteristic of Rococo aesthetics.
Technique
Etching and engraving are used together, evident in the fine lines and precise hatching. Taken together, the two processes allow both soft transitions and crisp contours, which give the figures and landscape greater clarity.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)