Earth, from The Four Elements
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Plate: 13 in. × 10 7/16 in. (33 × 26.5 cm) Sheet: 15 3/8 × 11 1/4 in. (39 × 28.5 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.108.2(36)
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Earth, from The Four" is a captivating etching and engraving created between 1738 and 1749, attributed to François Boucher in collaboration with engravers Pierre Alexandre Aveline and Huquier. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Drawings and Prints department, this print exemplifies the Rococo style's playful elegance during Louis XV's reign in France Boucher, a master of decorative arts, designed this as part of a series personifying the classical elements, with "Earth" likely featuring allegorical figures of men and amid lush, fantastical motifs. The Chinoiserie influence—Europe's whi...
About the Artist
François Boucher|Pierre Alexandre Aveline|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...