Page of Text, Printed on Recto and Verso
Classification
Bound print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-207-45
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This intriguing *Page of Text, Printed on Recto and* (1751) comes from the hand of Marie F. Lé, a French artist active in the eighteenth century As a bound print, it exemplifies the era's advancements in printing technology, where text was efficiently reproduced on both sides of a single sheet—known as recto and verso—to maximize paper use in books, pamphlets, or illustrated volumes. Though the specific medium remains unidentified and research is ongoing, such prints were vital for disseminating knowledge during the Enlightenment, when France led in typographic innovation. Lattré's work refle...