Artwork
Dinner Service (Rousseau service): Roosters, skate, plants, etc. (no. 9)

Dinner Service (Rousseau service): Roosters, skate, plants, etc. (no. 9) is a print by the Impressionist artist Félix Bracquemond. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Félix Bracquemond’s print titled *Dinner Service (Rousseau service): Roosters, skate, plants, etc. (no. 9)* was produced in 1866. The work is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as an example of mid‑nineteenth‑century French graphic art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition arranges a variety of flora and fauna on a muted beige field. Two roosters, a skate, a small bird and assorted leaves are rendered in a single plane, suggesting a decorative rather than narrative intent. The juxtaposition of domestic and wild elements reflects the ornamental motifs commonly employed in French dinner‑service designs of the period.
Technique & Style
Bracquemond employs stark, unmodulated black lines to delineate each form, avoiding gradations of tone. The drawing emphasizes contour and texture over three‑dimensional modeling, resulting in a graphic clarity that aligns with the aesthetic of the French decorative arts. The minimal shading underscores the print’s focus on pattern and line rather than illusionistic depth.
History & Provenance
Created in 1866, the print entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century, though the precise provenance before that remains undocumented. Its presence in an American museum highlights the transatlantic interest in French decorative prints and the broader diffusion of Bracquemond’s work beyond his native France.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Félix Henri Bracquemond (French pronunciation: ; 22 May 1833 – 29 October 1914) was a French painter, etcher, and printmaker.



















