Artwork
La coquette fixee
La coquette fixee is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Jean Dambrun. It dates from 1776 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jean Dambrun’s 1776 print, titled *La coquette fixée*, is an engraving that presents a garden tableau. A seated woman, holding a small dog and a fan, occupies the foreground while a kneeling man offers a birdcage and a second man reaches toward the bird. Trees, shrubbery and a tall vase frame the scene, creating a modestly staged outdoor setting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition suggests a moment of flirtation or intrigue, implied by the title’s reference to a “coquette” – a flirtatious woman – and the presence of a birdcage, a traditional symbol of confinement or courtship. The juxtaposition of the woman’s relaxed pose with the men’s attentive gestures hints at a subtle narrative of desire, control, and social interaction within an intimate garden space.
Technique & Style
Dambrun employed the engraving process, incising fine lines into a metal plate to achieve precise detail and tonal variation. The work’s delicate hatching and cross‑hatching render textures such as foliage, fabric, and animal fur, while the controlled shading creates depth. The style reflects late‑Baroque sensibilities, balancing ornamental detail with a clear, narrative focus.
History & Provenance
Created in 1776, the print belongs to the late eighteenth‑century French print market, a period when engravings were widely circulated among collectors. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work is documented in catalogues of Dambrun’s oeuvre and appears in several museum collections that specialize in French graphic arts of the era.
Artist & collection
