Children's Games
1615–42
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 15/16 x 10 1/4 in. (7.5 x 26cm) Plate: 2 3/4 x 9 15/16 in. (7 x 25.2cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1928
Accession Number
28.91.21
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Children's Games**, a captivating etching by French artist Pierre Brébiette (c. 1578–1640), dates to around 1615–42 and captures the exuberant spirit of play in early 17th-century Europe Brébiette, known for his Mannerist style blending graceful figures with intricate details, crafted this small-scale print—measuring just under 3 by 10 inches—using the etching technique. This intaglio method, involving acid biting into a metal plate, allowed for delicate, fluid lines that bring lively motion to the scene, making it ideal for reproducing whimsical subjects. The composition brims with joyful ...
About the Artist
Pierre Brebiette · 1598–1642
Pierre Brébiette (c. 1598–c. 1642) was a French painter and etcher whose elegant, sensuous treatment of classical mythology and allegory earned him a significant reputation in early seventeenth-century Paris. Born in Mantes-sur-Seine, Brébiette traveled to Italy as a young man and lived and worked in Rome from around 1617 to approximately 1625, absorbing the influences of ancient sculpture, Renais...