Le Panier Misterieux (The Mysterious Basket)
18th century
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 20 13/16 x 15 11/16 in. (52.8 x 39.8 cm) Plate: 19 11/16 x 14 3/4 in. (50 x 37.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Jenny Philippsohn, in memory of Siegfried Philippsohn, 1955
Accession Number
55.557.18
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Le Panier MisterieuxThe Mysterious Basket)** is an exquisite 18th-century print by engraver René Gaillard after a design by François Boucher, the preeminent French Rococo artist. Produced as an etching and engraving on a large sheet measuring over 20 by 15 inches, this work captures Boucher's signature playful elegance. The title hints at a whimsical narrative centered around a enigmatic basket, surrounded by men, women, dogs, and trees—a classic Rococo tableau blending human figures with nature in lighthearted, often sensual harmony. Boucher's Rococo style, flourishing under Louis XV's cou...
About the Artist
René Gaillard|François Boucher (French|French) · 1714 |1703 –1790 |1770
French, ca. 1719–1790 Paris|French, Paris 1703–1770 Paris