The Weeping Willow with hidden silhouettes of the Royal family
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Image: 7 1/2 × 5 9/16 in. (19 × 14.1 cm) Sheet: 10 1/4 × 6 5/8 in. (26 × 16.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Martin, 1938
Accession Number
38.145.437
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the turbulent aftermath of the French Revolution this delicate 1795 engraving, *The Weeping Willow with silhouettes of the Royal family serves as a poignant symbol of and covert royalist sentiment. Created just two years after the executions of Louis XVI and Marieoinette—and coinciding with the death of young son, Louis XVII—the image features a gracefully drooping willow tree, a classic emblem of sorrow. Upon closer inspection, shadowy silhouettes of the Bourbon royals emerge subtly within the branches, a clever optical illusion that allowed sympathizers to pay homage without risking perse...
About the Artist
Louis XVII|Louis XVI, King of France|Anonymous|Marie Antoinette, Queen of France (French, born Austria|French| ) · 1755 |1785 | –1792 |1795 |
French (born Austria), Vienna 1755–1792 Paris|French, Versailles 1785–1795 Paris|