Le Bonjour

Art Historical Context

**Le Bonjour** is a delicate photogravure print created after a work by the French artist Charles-Edouard Delort ( 1856–96), published by the esteemed Paris firm Boussod, Val & Co. This intimate piece, measuring just 6⅝ × 4½ inches on the plate, captures a moment tagged simply as "Women," evoking the charm of everyday greetings in a refined, late 19th-century style. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, entered the collection through the generous bequest of Julia H. Manges in memory of her husband, Dr. Morris Manges, in 1960. Photogravure, a pioneering photomechanical intaglio process perfected in the 1880s, allowed for exceptionally rich tonal gradations and fine detail, bridging photography and traditional printmaking. Firms like Boussod, Valadon & Co.—dealers who championed reproductions of popular paintings—made such works accessible to a broader audience, democratizing art during the Belle Époque. Delort's original likely depicted an elegant feminine scene, reflecting the era's fascination with graceful social interactions. This print exemplifies how 19th-century innovations preserved and popularized genre art, inviting us to pause and appreciate the subtle artistry in a simple "bonjour." A testament to technical ingenuity and cultural elegance! (198 words)

About the Artist

Charles-Edouard Delort|Boussod, Valadon and Co. (American|French) · 1822 |1841 –1904 |1895

American, New York 1822–1904 New York|French, Nîmes 1841–1895 Saint-Eugène