Dona Mitilena, plate 3 from "Recueil de diverses fig.res étrangeres Inventées par F. Boucher P.tre du Roy et Gravées par F. Ravenet"
Original title: Dona Mitilena, plate 3 from "Recueil de diverses fig.res étrangeres Inventées par F. Boucher P.tre du Roy et Gravées par F. Ravenet" (Collection of Various Foreign Figures, Devised by F. Boucher, Painter of the King and Engraved [etched] by F. Ravenet)
kurzbeschreibung
Simon Francis Ravenet the elder made this etching and engraving in the 18th century as the third plate of a series after designs by François Boucher, published in Paris. It presents a woman dressed in traditional costume.
Description
Seen from the side, she wears a patterned headscarf and a long-sleeved dress whose hem is trimmed with fringe and lace; a veil falls across her shoulder. Trees and rocks can be made out behind her, while the ground is broken up by shifting areas of light and shadow.
Context
The series was engraved after drawings by François Boucher, then court painter to Louis XV; publication was handled by the Paris publisher Huguer with a royal privilege. Costume figures of this kind were widely popular in the 18th century, serving both as models for decoration and as collectibles.
Impact
Fine linework and the careful rendering of fabrics and folds give the print an elegant, detailed feel. The side view lends the figure a calm, almost ceremonial air, which the merely suggested landscape behind her counters.
Technique
The plate was executed as a combination of etching and engraving, producing delicate lines and precise hatching. This method allows differentiated reproduction of fabric textures and effects of light and shadow, as brought out in the visual analysis.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)