Artwork
Soeur Jeanne
Soeur Jeanne is an ink print by the Baroque artist Charles Emmanuel Patas. It dates from 1773 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Soeur Jeanne is an etching executed by Charles Emmanuel Patas in 1773. The work is a black‑and‑white print that captures a quiet interior scene, rendered with fine line work and careful shading to suggest depth and atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a modest gathering of women within a dimly lit chamber. A seated figure holds a book and looks upward, while others stand nearby, some clutching a basket or a fan. A sleeping child lies in a basket on the floor, and a small dog rests at their feet. The arrangement conveys a moment of domestic contemplation and quiet routine.
Technique & Style
Patas employed traditional intaglio methods, incising lines into a metal plate and then printing them onto paper. The use of chiaroscuro—contrasting light and shadow—creates a sense of three‑dimensionality, allowing the figures to emerge from the darkened background. Delicate hatching defines textures such as the draped curtains, chandelier, and wall painting.
Context
Created in the late eighteenth century, the etching reflects the period’s interest in genre scenes that depict everyday life with a dignified tone. While specific details about the work’s ownership history are scarce, its subject matter aligns with contemporary French artistic trends that favored intimate interior views and moralizing narratives.
Artist & collection
