Poetry
Original title: Poetry
kurzbeschreibung
Louis Félix de La Rue produced this etching after a design by E. Boucher, titling it “Poesie” (originally “LA POESIE”). Two putti float through clouds, one holding a lyre, the other a wreath; the print was executed as an etching.
Description
The left of the two naked putti, hovering above a sea of clouds, holds a lyre and turns his head toward his companion, who raises a laurel wreath. Both have settled on a large book that a cloud supports. The right putto also carries a staff and looks down at the book. Clouds and wisps of smoke in the rear loosen the pictorial space.
Context
Allegorical images of the arts were a widespread motif in eighteenth-century France, and this etching dates from that period. Active as a draftsman and printmaker in France, Louis Félix de La Rue often drew on models by François Boucher. Within a series that personifies the arts, this sheet stands for poetry, recognizable through the lyre and wreath. No exact year of creation is recorded; stylistically the work belongs to the Rococo with its playful, idyllic motifs.
Impact
The sheet comes across as light and playful, largely because of the floating putti and the soft cloud shapes. Delicate lines drawn with the etching needle give the print an elegant, almost fragile grace characteristic of Rococo art. Together, the instrument and the wreath make the allegorical content vivid and invite reflection on poetry.
Technique
In etching, an intaglio process, the drawing is scratched into a wax layer over a copper plate, and the plate is then etched. Fine lines and hatching create soft transitions and an atmospheric effect. The plate was pulled on paper with black printing ink; the sheet measures 20 x 27.8 cm.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)