The Waterworks
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Widener Collection
Accession Number
1942.9.2316
Art Historical Context
Welcome to *The Waterworks*, a delightful engraving by Pierre-Laurent Auvray, created after an original by the celebrated Rococo master Jean-Hé Fragonard. from between 1726 and 1750, this print captures the playful elegance of 18th-century French. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Wid Collection (Department CG-E), it exemplifies how reproductive prints brought high art to a broader audience during the Rococo era. Fragonard, known for his lighthearted, sensual scenes of gardens, lovers, and fountains, likely inspired this work with a whimsical depiction of water features—evoking the lavi...