Chinese Peasant
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 4 13/16 × 5 7/16 in. (12.2 × 13.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.1018(5)
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Chinese Peasant," an etching created by François Boucher and by Chez Huquier around 1738–45, the whimsical allure of Chinoiserie, a European style blending imagined Chinese motifs with Rococo elegance. This intimate print, measuring just 4 13/16 × 5 7/16 inches, likely depicts a stylized peasant figure amid birds, women, and fish—hallmarks of the decorative fantasy that enchanted 18th-century France.er's delicate lines evoke a dreamlike exoticism, transforming everyday rural life into an ornate reverie. As a leading Rococo artist, Boucher mastered lush, playful compositions that adorned Vers...
About the Artist
François Boucher|Chez 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...