Little girl doing farm work, from "Premier Livre de Figures d'après les porcelaines de la Manufacture Royale de France, inventées en 1757, par Mr. Boucher"
Original title: Little girl doing farm work, from "Premier Livre de Figures d'après les porcelaines de la Manufacture Royale de France, inventées en 1757, par Mr. Boucher" (First Book of Figures after porcelains from the Manufacture Royale de France, devised in 1757, by Mr. Boucher)
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many plates in the same series, this one focuses on a young girl engaged in field work. Pierre Etienne Falconet engraved it in 1757 after a porcelain model by François Boucher. The etching and engraving belongs to a set of figures based on porcelain from the Manufacture Royale de France.
Description
A young figure with a spade stands front and center. She wears a wide cap, a white shirt, and dark trousers; her feet are bare. Above her is a plain sky with clouds, and behind her stretches a landscape with grass and flowers. The arrangement is centered, with the figure in the foreground. Gray tones dominate, built up through hatching and lines. The light falls evenly, without sharp shadows or highlights.
Context
The plate was made in 1757 as part of a series that François Boucher had designed for porcelain figures of the royal French manufactory. Pierre Etienne Falconet translated these designs into print, presumably as models for collectors or to circulate the porcelain designs. The series was published as 'Premier Livre de Figures'; it features rural motifs in the Rococo style.
Impact
The simple layout and even lighting give the scene a calm, idyllic feel. The monochrome print emphasizes the line work and lends the motif a timeless, elegant quality typical of Rococo art.
Technique
Etching and engraving are combined here; this is evident in the delicate lines and precise hatching. The technique allows a detailed rendering of the textures of clothing and landscape, with the monochrome palette modeled through varying line densities.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)