Qu'en dit l'Abbé?

1788

Nicolas Delaunay after Nicolas Lavreince

Associated Names
Nicolas Delaunay

Artist, French, 1739 - 1792

Nicolas Lavreince

Artist After, Swedish, 1737 - 1807

This print features nine individuals in an opulent interior. The people are shown engaging in various poses, including standing, sitting, and leaning. They all have pale skin and elaborate hairstyles of white and gray curls. Their clothing is formal and richly detailed, with the women wearing ornate gowns with ruffles and the men dressed in tailored suits with waistcoats and breeches. To the right of center, a woman lounges in a chair, with two people attending to her, one of them combing her hair. On the left, three people are turned toward her, examining a long sheet of paper or cloth decorated with curving vines. Behind them, two people whisper together on the far left. On the far right, a person sits with their back to us, appearing to work with a stringed instrument like a lute. The setting is an elegant room with a high ceiling adorned with decorative garlands, columns, and draped curtains framing large arched windows. The ceiling features cherubs and intricate molding. In the background, tall doors with classical details can be seen, partially open.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 48.1 x 35.5 cm (18 15/16 x 14 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1942.9.2399

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Portalis/Beraldi 1880, no. 26


Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1944

  • French Prints and Drawings of the XVIIIth Century, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1944-1945, no catalogue.

1977

  • Paper in Prints, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1977, no. 141.

2001

  • The Unfinished Print, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2001, as Qu'en dit l'Abbé? (What Says the Abbé?).

Bibliography

1880

  • Portalis, baron Roger and Henri Beraldi. Les graveurs du dix-huitieme siecle. 2 parts, 3 vols. each part. Paris, 1880.

1987

  • Taylor, Sean J. "Pendants and Commercial Ploys: Formal and Informal Relationships in the Work of Nicolas Delaunay." Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschicte 50, no 4(1987): 509-538.

Wikidata ID

Q64960758

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