Autumn (Etching, engraving and drypoint)
Original title: Autumn
kurzbeschreibung
Three putti animate an autumnal landscape in Louis Félix de La Rue's etching Der Herbst. The print combines etching, engraving and drypoint; it was made at an unrecorded date and presents a rural idyll.
Description
In the foreground two naked putti lie on the ground, looking up at a third who sits on a tree trunk and holds a single leaf. Their nudity and bare feet reinforce a sense of innocence. Trees and clouds in the background sketch the season. The arrangement of figures feels asymmetrical yet gathered toward the center, and the lines flow with rich detail. The print is toned in various shades of gray.
Context
The Frenchman Louis Félix de La Rue, an eighteenth-century draughtsman and engraver, favored ornamental and mythological subjects. The design was based on an invention by F. Beucher, as the inscription 'F. Beucher inv.' indicates; the print was published by Huquier in the Rue des Mathématiques. Prints of this kind were sought after as decorative models and circulated as collectibles in courtly and bourgeois circles.
Impact
A cheerful, idyllic mood emanates from the carefree putti in their autumnal setting. Delicate lines and soft gray gradations give the sheet an elegant, almost fragile grace; the viewer is transported into an Arcadian world.
Technique
Etching, engraving and drypoint came together in this print, allowing precise linework with fine shading. By setting light against dark, the monochrome print gains depth and volume.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)