Artwork
Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse)
Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist François Hubert. It dates from 1767 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse) is a 1767 etching and engraving on laid paper by François Hubert, currently part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a weary family's reunion in a dimly lit room, with a woman (implied to be a returning wet nurse) tending a baby amidst gathered children, while a man observes from near a window, conveying a sense of everyday domestic life and possibly the nuances of family dynamics and caregiving arrangements.
Technique & Style
Hubert employed sharp, detailed lines to render intricate textures, capturing every fold in clothing and wrinkle on faces, characteristic of precise engraving techniques.
History & Provenance
Created in 1767, the work is now held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, though its history prior to acquisition is not detailed here.
Context
Reflecting 18th-century European life, the scene offers insight into domestic interiors and the role of wet nurses during that era, highlighting both the intimacy of family life and the economic realities influencing childcare.
Artist & collection
