Artwork
La Bascule
La Bascule is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Jacques-Firmin Beauvarlet. It dates from 1760 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jacques‑Firmin Beauvarlet’s 1760 print La Bascule is an engraved plate that presents a small narrative scene. A woman in flowing garments reaches upward toward a hovering cherub, while a hat‑wearing man leans over a basket of fruit and a child sits nearby. Trees and blossoms frame the group, lending a soft, atmospheric backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The title, translating to “the seesaw,” suggests a theme of balance, perhaps alluding to the tension between youthful aspiration and mature experience, or the interplay of love and time. The juxtaposition of the adult figures with the child and the ethereal cherub reinforces this notion of opposing forces in equilibrium.
Technique & Style
Executed in engraving, Beauvarlet incised the image onto a metal plate, allowing for fine lines and subtle tonal variations. The composition relies on delicate, almost blurred outlines that create a dreamlike quality, while the dramatic poses give the scene a narrative, rather than purely portrait, character.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑eighteenth century, La Bascule reflects Beauvarlet’s prolific output as a French printmaker. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the work is documented in catalogues of Beauvarlet’s prints and appears in collections that focus on French engraving of the Enlightenment period.
Artist & collection
