Youth, from The Four Ages of Man
n.d.
Medium
Etching on paper
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23706
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Abraham Bosse’s moralizing series, The Four Ages of Man, encompasses the cycle of life: Childhood, Youth, Maturity, and Old Age. In the present etching, two springtime lovers enjoy an intimate garden tête-à-tête before fall and winter inevitably descend. As the decorative framework around the scene demonstrates, Cupid’s arrows have already pierced their hearts.
About the Artist
Abraham Bosse · 1602–1676
Abraham Bosse (1604–1676) was a French printmaker and theorist whose approximately 1,600 etchings provide an unparalleled visual record of 17th-century French life. Born to Huguenot parents in Tours, he trained in Paris under Melchior Tavernier and became a devoted follower of Jacques Callot's technical innovations. Bosse's meticulous etchings depicted subjects ranging from daily life and fashion ...