Oeuvres de Jean Racine

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant world of 18th- and 19th-century French publishing with *Oeuvres de Jeanine* (1801), a lavish printed book compiling the complete tragedies of the 17th-century playwright Jean Racine. Produced master printer Pierre Didot lainé, this edition revives Racine's timeless works—such as *Phèdre* and *Andromaque*—during the Napoleonic era, when classical literature symbolized cultural refinement amid revolutionary upheaval. What sets this volume apart are its exquisite engraved illustrations by a stellar roster of Neoclassical artists, including Pierre-Paul Prud'hon, Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson, and Baron François Gérard. Their intricate engravings capture dramatic scenes with girls, men, and symbolic objects like candlesticks and menorahs, blending emotional intensity with refined line work. Printed on high-quality paper in large format (19 11/16 x 13 3/4 x 2 3/4 in.), it exemplifies Didot's Didot typeface and the era's pursuit of typographic perfection, making it a collector's treasure now housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department. This book not only honors Racine's psychological depth but also showcases engraving's power to elevate text into visual poetry, bridging literature and fine art for enlightened readers of the time.

About the Artist

Pierre Didot l'ainé|Jean Racine|Pierre Paul Prud'hon|Jean Guillaume Moitte|Anne Louis Girodet-Trioson|Taunai|Antoine Denis Chaudet|Jean-Baptiste-Michel Dupréel|baron François Gérard (Roman|French|French) · -0065 |1761 |1764 –-0008 |1853 |1838

Roman, Venusia 65 BCE–8 BCE Rome|French, 1761–1853|French, Paris 1764–1838 Paris