← Laurent Cars

Dom Garcie de Navarre ou le prince Jaloux, from "Gravures de Boucher pour les Oeuvres de Molière" [Figures de Boucher pour Molière]

Original title: Dom Garcie de Navarre ou le prince Jaloux, from "Gravures de Boucher pour les Oeuvres de Molière" [Figures de Boucher pour Molière]

Artist

Laurent Cars

Date

mid-18th century

Medium

Etching and engraving; later state

Dimensions

Sheet: 15 15/16 x 10 1/4 in. (40.5 x 26 cm) Plate: 9 1/16 x 6 5/8 in. (23 x 16.8 cm)

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1942

kurzbeschreibung

A couple locked in a close embrace, watched by a startled third person: this etching and engraving by Laurent Cars, made in the mid-eighteenth century, reproduces a scene from Molière's play Dom Garcie de Navarre ou le prince Jaloux. The print belongs to a series of illustrations after designs by Jean-Antoine Watteau, and it shows the pair in intimate proximity while another figure reacts vehemently in the background.

Description

A man and a woman lie in each other's arms, kissing; her dress is elaborately ornamented, his garment plainer but equally noble. Behind them, a second man turns toward the couple with a gesture of fright or surprise. Sumptuous wall panelling, columns, and ornaments form the room. The light feels natural and heightens the tension of the moment; the rendering remains monochrome in shades of gray.

Context

Created as part of a series illustrating Molière's works after drawings by Watteau, the engraving was executed by Laurent Cars, an eighteenth-century French copperplate engraver. That the sheet appeared in later editions attests to the continued demand for these images.

Impact

Intimacy and drama interpenetrate: the figures' gestures and the dark, ornament-covered room intensify the impression. Because the print stays monochrome, details of clothing and architecture stand out, producing a quiet yet tension-laden mood.

Technique

Etching and engraving are combined, allowing fine lines and precise hatching. The plate mark measures 23 x 16.8 cm, the paper 40.5 x 26 cm. A later state is present, suggesting the plate was printed again.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)