Les Graces (The Graces)
Medium
etching and aquatint printed in brown on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 30.6 × 21.7 cm (12 1/16 × 8 9/16 in.) sheet: 42.9 × 29.1 cm (16 7/8 × 11 7/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund
Accession Number
2018.91.18
Art Historical Context
This elegant print, *Les Graces* (The Graces), captures the playful spirit of French Rococo art through François-Philippe Charpentier’s 1766 etching and aquatint after a design by François Boucher. The subject depicts the Three Graces of classical mythology—goddesses of beauty,, and creativity—rendered with the soft curves, delicate gestures, and lighthearted elegance that defined Boucher’s style. As a reproductive print published by Pierre-François Basan, it made the celebrated painter’s graceful compositions accessible to a wider audience beyond the royal court. Charpentier’s choice of etch...