Fille de Cio isle de l'Archipel, plate 10 from "Recueil de diverses fig.res étrangeres Inventées par F. Boucher P.tre du Roy et Gravées par F. Ravenet"
Original title: Fille de Cio isle de l'Archipel, plate 10 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
Unlike related plates from the same series, this image gives its attention to a single woman from Chio, an island in the Archipelago. Simon Francis Ravenet the elder produced the figure as an etching and engraving in the 18th century. She stays placed at the centre, with a plain landscape providing the setting.
Description
A flower-trimmed headscarf frames the woman's head, and ribbons trim her long-sleeved dress. Her hands are folded in front of her body, her gaze turned to the left. Sketchy trees and shrubs behind her suggest the surroundings. The arrangement stays clear and given over entirely to the person; light falls evenly, with no harsh shadows.
Context
The print belongs to a series: François Boucher supplied the designs and Ravenet transferred them to copper. Boucher worked as royal painter in France and made numerous drawings for printmaking. The set gathers foreign figures and served in the 18th century to record exotic costumes and types; audiences liked it.
Impact
The calm, careful line gives the woman's bearing something dignified. Finely graded hatching builds a dense surface that invites close looking. Nothing forces itself on the viewer; the sheet unfolds its effect only over longer study.
Technique
Etched and engraved lines interlock here, joining the possibilities of both methods. This yields graduated shading that conveys textures and the setting. The black and white matches how prints of that period usually appeared.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)