La Consolation de l'Absence (The consolation of absence)
1785
Medium
Engraving and etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 29 × 21.8 cm (11 7/16 × 8 5/8 in.); Sheet: 37.7 × 27.7 cm (14 7/8 × 10 15/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
30212
Art Historical Context
Created in 1785 by French engraver Nicolas Delaunay, *La Consolation de l'Absence* captures the sentimental spirit of late eighteenth-century France. The title, translating to “The Consolation of Absence,” hints themes of longing and memory that resonated during the Enlightenment, when personal emotion and intimate narratives gained favor in art. As a print rather than a painting, the work was designed for wider circulation, allowing viewers beyond aristocratic circles to engage with its evocative subject. Delaunay employed a combination of engraving and etching on ivory laid paper, technique...