Artwork
La Retorique (Rhetoric)
La Retorique (Rhetoric) is an ink print by the Baroque artist Gilles Rousselet. It dates from 1648 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Gilles Rousselet’s 1648 engraving titled La Retorique depicts a seated woman surrounded by emblems associated with speech and writing. She holds an open book and gazes pensively, embodying the intellectual activity suggested by the surrounding symbols. Executed on laid paper, the work exemplifies the printmaking practices of mid‑seventeenth‑century France.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure represents an allegorical personification of rhetoric, the art of persuasive discourse. The inclusion of writing tools, scrolls and other textual motifs reinforces the theme, while the woman’s contemplative expression hints at the reflective nature of effective communication.
Technique & Style
Rousselet employed fine, incised lines to render texture and gradation, achieving a sense of volume within the flat medium of engraving. The meticulous cross‑hatching creates subtle shadows that model the figure and surrounding objects, demonstrating the artist’s command of line work to suggest depth.
History & Provenance
Created in 1648, the print belongs to Rousselet’s mature period, during which he produced a series of allegorical and literary subjects for the French market. Surviving copies are held in several European collections, reflecting the work’s circulation among connoisseurs of printed art in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Artist & collection
Fanciful Costumes: Costume of the Astrologer
Henry III of France
H Beard Print Collection
Henrietta Maria on Horseback
Bourgeoise with Muff, Facing Right
Mary of Modena, as Duchess of York
The Lady of Rochford
William of Nassau, Prince of Orange
Mulier Generosa Gallica
Mulier Nobilis aut Generosa Gallica
The Seasons