Artwork
La coupe enchantee
La coupe enchantee is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Jean-Baptiste-Michel Dupreel. It dates from 1807 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
La coupe enchantee, executed in 1807 by Jean‑Baptiste‑Michel Dupreel, is a print that combines etching and engraving. Rendered in sepia tones, the work depicts an interior scene populated by three gentlemen engaged in a relaxed gathering. The composition balances figures and architectural detail, offering a glimpse into early‑nineteenth‑century domestic leisure.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a seated man, hat in hand and cane at his side, while two standing companions surround a low table, one holding a smoking pipe. Their attire—long coat for the sitter and shorter jackets for the others—places them firmly within an eighteenth‑century sartorial context, suggesting a moment of informal conversation and genteel pastime.
Technique & Style
Dupreel employs a hybrid of etching and engraving, allowing fine line work to convey texture in both the figures’ clothing and the richly carved wall panels. The interplay of etched washes and engraved hatching creates depth and a tactile quality, emphasizing the ornate frames and decorative motifs that frame the scene.
History & Provenance
Created in the post‑Revolutionary period, the print reflects the continued interest in genre scenes that celebrated private leisure. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work has been catalogued among Dupreel’s prints and appears in several nineteenth‑century collections of French graphic art.
Context
During the early 1800s, French printmakers often revisited eighteenth‑century domestic themes, juxtaposing nostalgia with contemporary techniques. Dupreel’s choice of subject aligns with this trend, offering viewers a stylized yet familiar tableau of aristocratic relaxation amid the evolving social landscape of post‑Napoleonic France.
Artist & collection
