Artwork
La Bonne Aventure
La Bonne Aventure is an ink print by the Baroque artist Pierre-Alexandre Aveline. It dates from 1738 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
La Bonne Aventure is an etching on laid paper produced in 1738 by the French printmaker Pierre‑Alexandre Aveline. Executed as a proof, the work presents a compact composition of figures set within a densely wooded landscape, rendered in the fine line work characteristic of eighteenth‑century French engraving.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a small group gathered around a woman who holds a staff, suggesting a role of guidance or leadership. Other figures stand or sit nearby, some directing their gaze upward toward the central figure, while a winding path leads through the forest floor, evoking a narrative of pilgrimage or communal journey within a tranquil natural setting.
Technique & Style
Aveline employed traditional intaglio etching, incising delicate lines into a copper plate before transferring the image onto laid paper. The print displays meticulous rendering of foliage, bark texture, and the varied postures of the figures, illustrating the artist’s skill in creating depth and atmosphere through line density and cross‑hatching.
History & Provenance
Created as a proof in 1738, La Bonne Aventure belongs to Aveline’s broader output of narrative prints that circulated among collectors in the French Enlightenment period. The work’s provenance traces through several European private collections before entering a museum holding, where it remains a reference for studies of early modern French print culture.
Artist & collection
