The Rider

Art Historical Context

Charles Jacque’s “The Rider,” created around 1845, presents an intimate equestrian scene featuring men, women, and horses. Rendered as an etching on chine collé, the work highlights the delicate tonal qualities possible when a finely detailed impression is printed onto thin Chinese paper and then mounted onto a sturdier sheet. This technique allowed Jacque to achieve subtle gradations and crisp lines within a modest plate size of roughly 6⅝ by 4⅞ inches, inviting close viewing. Etching enjoyed renewed popularity in mid-nineteenth-century France as artists explored its expressive potential for capturing movement and everyday subjects. The small format and refined surface of this print suggest it was intended for private collectors rather than large public display, reflecting the era’s growing interest in accessible, high-quality reproductive media. Today the sheet resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, a gift originally presented in 1883. Its modest scale and focus on human and animal interaction continue to offer viewers a glimpse into the period’s fascination with both rural themes and technical innovation in printmaking.

About the Artist

Charles Jacque · 1813–1894

Charles-Émile Jacque (1813–1894) was a pioneering French painter, engraver, and illustrator whose career bridged the worlds of printmaking and pastoral painting. Born in Paris amid a difficult childhood, he apprenticed at age seventeen to a map engraver, mastering drypoint technique and producing his first etching in 1830—a copy of a head after Rembrandt. After serving seven years in the French Ar...