The Negligé or Morning Dressing

Art Historical Context

Step into the intimate world of 18th French domesticity with *The Negligé or Dressing* (1741), a engraving by master printmaker Jacques-Philippe Le, reproducing a composition by Jean-Siméonardin. Measuring 14 5/8 × 10 1/8 inches, print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department captures a young woman or girl in the quiet ritual of morning dressing within a softly lit interior. Chardin, a pioneer of genre scenes, elevated everyday moments like this—women in negligées amid personal grooming—into art of profound realism and warmth, diverging from the era's grand historical paintings. Le Bas's engraving technique masterfully translates Chardin's painterly textures into intricate lines, highlighting the subtle folds of fabric and domestic details. Created during the Rococo period, it reflects growing fascination with private life and leisure in bourgeois homes. This work's cultural significance lies in its role as a popular print, making Chardin's intimate observations accessible beyond elite collectors. It offers a glimpse into gender norms and daily rituals of the time, reminding us how art democratized the beauty of the ordinary.

About the Artist

Jacques Philippe Le Bas|Jacques Philippe Le Bas|Jean Siméon Chardin · 1707–1783

Comment on works: Engraver