The Toilet of Venus
Medium
Color aquatint
Dimensions
image: 14 3/4 x 11 1/2 in. (37.5 x 29.2 cm) sheet: 17 7/16 x 12 5/16 in. (44.3 x 31.3 cm) clipped
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1935
Accession Number
35.100.28
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite color aquatint captures the Venus in a moment of intimate preparation, surrounded by playful putti and gentle doves—a timeless symbol of love and beauty. Created in 1783 by printmaker Jean François Janinet after a design by François Boucher, the work reflects the lingering elegance of the Rococo style, even as the French court approached revolutionary change. Boucher, celebrated for his lighthearted mythological scenes, brought sensuality and grace to such subjects, and Janinet masterfully translated that vision into print form. The medium of color aquatint was particularly sig...