Saint Jean
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 13 5/8 × 8 7/16 in. (34.6 × 21.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.570.448(3)
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Saint Jean**, a delicate etching and engraving from 1726, showcases the early collaboration between François Boucher, the celebrated French Rococo painter, and engraver Edmé Jeaurat. At just 23, Boucher designed this image of Saint John—likely the Baptist or Evangelist—capturing a serene religious figure amid the ornate elegance emerging in 18th-century. Printed on a trimmed sheet measuring 13⅝ × 8⁷⁄₁₆ inches, it exemplifies the precision of mixed printmaking techniques: etching for fluid lines and engraving for sharp, intricate details, allowing affordable dissemination of high art to a wid...
About the Artist
François Boucher|Edmé Jeaurat · 1703–1770
François Boucher (1703–1770) stands as the quintessential master of French Rococo painting and the most celebrated decorative artist of the 18th century. Born in Paris to a lace designer, Boucher created a visual language that perfectly embodied the refined taste, sensuality, and elegance of Louis XV's court. His prolific output—encompassing paintings, tapestry designs, theatrical sets, and decora...