Ancienne Mode Françoise, plate 4 from "Recueil de diverses fig.res étrangeres Inventées par F. Boucher P.tre du Roy et Gravées par F. Ravenet"
Original title: Ancienne Mode Françoise, plate 4 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
This print presents a woman dressed in French fashion of the eighteenth century. It comes from a series of engravings after designs by François Boucher, executed by Simon Francis Ravenet the elder. Etching and engraving were both put to use in the eighteenth century.
Description
She wears a long-sleeved dress with lavish ornament and a distinctive collar; a belt gathers the lower part of the garment. Upright she stands, her gaze turned to the left. The backdrop stays sparse, hinting only faintly at clouds and a landscape, which makes the figure stand out. The layout is clear, with the person set at the middle. Kept in black and white, the image shows even light with no visible shadows.
Context
The engraving belongs to a series designed by the court painter François Boucher and cut in copper by Simon Francis Ravenet the elder. Boucher ranked among the leading artists of the Rococo and served as painter to Louis XV. Ravenet, a French engraver, later worked in England. The sequence of 'foreign figures' was meant to record fashions, costumes and types from around the world.
Impact
Precise lines and the calm, upright posture give the sheet an elegant and dignified air. Because the backdrop recedes, attention falls entirely on the richly detailed dress and the pose, which underlines the fashionable appearance. The monochrome treatment brings a graphic clarity typical of engraving series of the period.
Technique
Etching and engraving allow fine lines and a detailed rendering of textures. The exact stroke work attests to Ravenet's high craftsmanship. In the eighteenth century this method was widely used to reproduce artworks and fashion plates.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)