Study for an Engraving of "Songs in the Opera of Flora"
ca. 1737
Medium
Pen and blue ink and black, with slight traces of red chalk
Dimensions
2 13/16 x 4 in. (7.2 x 10.1 cm.)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1944
Accession Number
44.54.18
Tags
Art Historical Context
Hubert François Gravelot, a prominent French rococo artist and engraver active in 18th-century Paris and London, created this delicate *Study for an Engraving of " in the Opera of Flora around 1737.ed in pen and blue ink with black accents and faint traces of red chalk, the small drawing (just 2 13/16 x 4 inches) exemplifies the preparatory sketches artists used to refine compositions before committing to print. Gravelot's intricate line work captures dynamic figures—likely men wielding swords, evoking theatrical drama—hinting at scenes from the opera *Flora*, a popular work celebrating the Ro...
About the Artist
Hubert François Gravelot
Hubert-François Bourguignon, known as Gravelot (1699–1773), was a leading French Rococo engraver, illustrator, and designer whose elegant draftsmanship bridged the artistic worlds of France and England. Born in Paris to a tailor, he adopted his pseudonym from a godfather and grew up alongside his elder brother, the geographer Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville. After neglecting studies at the Col...