Paul and Virginia
Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
Image: 6 in. × 4 5/8 in. (15.2 × 11.8 cm) Sheet: 13 5/16 × 10 11/16 in. (33.8 × 27.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.21.77
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This delicate lithograph, created between 1805 and 1827, captures a tender moment from Bernardin de Saint-Pierre’s beloved 1788 novel *Paul et Virginie*. The story of two children raised in idyllic harmony on the island of Mauritius became a cornerstone of French Romantic literature, celebrated for its themes of innocence, nature, and pure affection. Rendered by lithographers Charles Motte and Alexandre Joseph Desenne and published by Giraldon Bovinet et Cie, the print exemplifies how early nineteenth-century artists translated literary sentiment into visual form for a growing reading public. Lithography, still a relatively new technique at the time, allowed artists to draw directly onto stone, producing soft, fluid lines and subtle tonal effects that perfectly suited the novel’s gentle emotional tone. Unlike earlier engraving methods, this medium offered greater freedom and affordability, helping spread Romantic imagery across Europe. Measuring just six inches high, the intimate scale invites close viewing, encouraging museum visitors to linger over the quiet narrative details. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1949 through the Elisha Whittelsey Fund, this print preserves both a literary classic and a pivotal moment in printmaking history. It reminds us how art and literature together shaped the emotional landscape of the Romantic era.
About the Artist
Charles Motte|Alexandre Joseph Desenne|Giraldon Bovinet et Cie (French|French|French) · 1803 |1785 |1785 –1860 |1836 |1836
French, Paris 1803–1860 Fontainebleau|French, 1785–1836|French, 1785–1836