The Four Times of Day: Le Soir
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
10 5/8 x 13 3/4 in. (27 x 35 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, by exchange, 2008
Accession Number
2008.186
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 18th century, French artist Jean-Baptiste Huet I, renowned for his Rococo pastoral scenes, created *The Four Times of Day Le Soir* (Evening), part of a charming series depicting daily rhythms in idyllic countryside settings. Collaborating with master engraver Gilles Demarte, who expertly translated Huet's designs into print, this 1776 etching captures the serene hush of dusk. Measuring 10 5/8 x 13 3/4 inches, it features gentle cows and sheep grazing or resting amid soft, twilight landscapes—a nod to the era's fascination with harmonious rural life amid aristocratic leisure. Huet'...