La Confidence
c. 1774/1775
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 48.6 x 36.8 cm (19 1/8 x 14 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1984.80.1
Art Historical Context
**La Confidence**, an exquisite engraving by Jacques-Fir Beauvarlet after a painting by Carle Van, dates to around 1774–1775. Carle Van Loo, a French Rococo artist (1705–1765), was renowned for his elegant, playful scenes capturing the refined frivolity of 18th-century aristocratic life. This work, translating to "The Secret" or "The Confidence," likely depicts an intimate moment of whispered gossip between women, embodying the Rococo emphasis on delicate emotions, soft curves, and lighthearted sensuality. Beauvarlet, a skilled engraver, faithfully reproduced Van Loo's original in intricate de...