Ancient Tower at a Water Mill
Medium
etching and drypoint in sepia
Dimensions
sheet: 11.4 x 15 cm (4 1/2 x 5 7/8 in.) mount: 16.7 x 23 cm (6 9/16 x 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the Estate of Leo Steinberg
Accession Number
2011.139.69
Art Historical Context
Jean-Jacques de Boissieu's *Ancient Tower at a Water Mill* (1759) is a delicate and drypoint in warm sepia ink, measuring just 11.4 x 15 cm on its sheet. This intimate print captures a picturesque rural scene, blending an weathered ancient tower with the humble mechanics of a water mill, evoking the charm of 18th-century French countryside. De Boissieu, a Lyon-born engraver (1736–1810), was renowned for his masterful prints that drew inspiration from 17th-century Dutch masters like Rembrandt, infusing landscapes with atmospheric depth and tactile detail. The technique shines here: etching cre...
About the Artist
Jean-Jacques de Boissieu (French) · 1736 –1810
French, Lyons 1736–1810 Lyons