Artwork
Les Deux Ami (The Two Friends)
Les Deux Ami (The Two Friends) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist John Raphael Smith. It dates from 1778 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1778, *Les Deux Ami* is a print that combines mezzotint and etching on laid paper.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1778, *Les Deux Ami* is a print that combines mezzotint and etching on laid paper. The work presents a quiet scene of two women seated together, their elegant 18th‑century attire highlighted against a dark, indistinct background. The composition emphasizes their faces and gestures, inviting close observation of the subtle interplay of light and shadow.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays a pair of women sharing a moment of relaxed intimacy. One figure wears a tall, feather‑adorned hat and holds a fan, while the other, in a simpler cap, rests a hand on her lap. Their poised yet informal demeanor suggests a private conversation or companionship, reflecting social customs of genteel leisure in the late eighteenth century.
Technique & Style
Etching was added to define finer lines and details, such as the lacework and facial features.
Smith employed mezzotint to achieve the print’s rich tonal gradations, scraping a prepared copper plate to produce smooth transitions from deep shadow to delicate highlight. Etching was added to define finer lines and details, such as the lacework and facial features. The resulting surface merges the atmospheric depth of mezzotint with the crispness of etched outlines, a hallmark of sophisticated portrait prints of the period.
History & Provenance
British artist John Raphael Smith, noted for his proficiency in printmaking, executed the work. He was the son of landscape painter Thomas Smith and the father of John Rubens Smith, who later emigrated to the United States and pursued a painting career. *Les Deux Ami* exemplifies Smith’s mature print practice during a prolific phase of his London workshop.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Raphael Smith (25 May 1751 – 2 March 1812) was a British painter and mezzotinter. He was the son of the landscape painter Thomas Smith and the father of John Rubens Smith, a painter who emigrated to the United States.
