Artwork
Le lever des ouvrieres en modes
Le lever des ouvrieres en modes is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Francois-Nicolas-Barthelemy Dequevauviller. It dates from 1784 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. François‑Nicolas‑Barthélemy Dequevauviller produced the print Le lever des ouvrières en modes in 1784.
About this work
Overview
François‑Nicolas‑Barthélemy Dequevauviller produced the print Le lever des ouvrières en modes in 1784. Executed as an engraving, the work presents a monochrome interior scene populated by several women and a child as they prepare for the day. The composition captures a moment of domestic activity, with figures arranged around a bed, a window, and a small table.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts working women in the act of dressing, suggested by the title’s reference to “ouvrières” and “modes.” A woman adjusts her garment beside a bed, another holds a mirror, while a child watches from the floor. A figure by the window reads a letter, indicating a blend of personal and occupational concerns within the household setting.
Technique & Style
Created through engraving, the print relies on delicate, intersecting lines to render the textures of fabric, light, and shadow. The fine hatching conveys the sheen of clothing and the subtle play of illumination from a candle on a nearby table. This linear approach reflects the late‑eighteenth‑century French printmaking conventions that emphasized precision and narrative clarity.
History & Provenance
Le lever des ouvrières en modes was issued in 1784, during a period when prints served both decorative and documentary functions. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work is catalogued among Dequevauviller’s known prints and appears in several nineteenth‑century collections of French engraving, indicating its circulation among connoisseurs of the era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francois-Nicolas-Barthelemy Dequevauviller
Francois-Nicolas-Barthelemy Dequevauviller (1786–1786) was an artist.
