Child Reaching for a Caged Bird
ca. 1742
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 11 3/4 × 9 5/16 in. (29.8 × 23.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.1019(7)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the enchanting Rococo world of 18th-century France *Child Reaching for a Caged Bird (ca. 1742) captures a moment of tender curiosity. Created by master painter François Boucher and skillfully reproduced in etching and engraving by Gabriel Huquier, this print depicts a child eagerly stretching toward a caged bird a lush scene of trees, figures of men and women, and natural whimsy. Bouch design embodies the era's delight in playful, asymmetrical compositions, evoking innocence and the fleeting pursuit of freedom—a motif resonant in pastoral art of the time. Etching and engraving allowed for ...
About the Artist
François Boucher|Gabriel Huquier · 1703–1770
François Boucher (1703–1770) stands as the quintessential master of French Rococo painting and the most celebrated decorative artist of the 18th century. Born in Paris to a lace designer, Boucher created a visual language that perfectly embodied the refined taste, sensuality, and elegance of Louis XV's court. His prolific output—encompassing paintings, tapestry designs, theatrical sets, and decora...