Cléante.
Remi Henry Joseph Delvaux
1811 - 1813
Medium
etching
Dimensions
146; 218
About this artwork
Schenking van J.F.R. van de Wall, Den Haag
Art Historical Context
"Cléante" is a delicate etching created by Remi Henry Josephvaux between 1811 1813. Measuring just 218 mm high by 146 mm wide, this intimate print captures the artist's skill in a period of political upheaval across Europe, including the Napoleonic era's influence on the Netherlands and Belgium. Delvaux, a lesser-known engraver of his time, likely drew inspiration from classical literature or theater—Cléante evokes the rational, noble character from Molière's 17th-century play *Le Misanthrope*, a nod to Enlightenment ideals amid early Romantic stirrings. Etching, Delvaux's chosen medium, invo...