Artwork
Le Compliment ou La Matinée du jour de l'an (The Compliment or New Year's Morning)
Le Compliment ou La Matinée du jour de l'an (The Compliment or New Year's Morning) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Philibert-Louis Debucourt. It dates from 1787 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
The room has a clock on the wall, a small table with bottles, and a mirror reflecting a candle.
This scene shows a cozy room where five people are gathered. An older man and woman sit in chairs, talking while a woman in a big white hat stands nearby. Two children stand in front of them, one holding a small hat. The room has a clock on the wall, a small table with bottles, and a mirror reflecting a candle. The floor has a patterned rug, and the walls are plain with a few framed pictures.
The title at the bottom says it’s about New Year’s morning, and the artist signed it in 1787. The way the people are dressed looks fancy, like they’re celebrating something special.
If you like this style, look up etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how the artist made it.
Overview
Le Compliment ou La Matinée du jour de l'an (The Compliment or New Year's Morning) is a color etching created by Philibert-Louis Debucourt in 1787 on laid paper using the wash manner technique.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a family scene on New Year's morning, with five figures in an interior setting. An elderly couple sit while a woman in a large hat stands nearby, and two children stand before them, one holding a hat, suggesting a ceremonial gift-giving.
Technique & Style
The work showcases Debucourt's skill with color etching and wash manner, techniques that allow for rich tonal variations and detailed textures, characteristic of late 18th-century printmaking.
Artist & collection
Artist
Philibert-Louis Debucourt (1755–1832) was a French artist, born in Paris.
