Artwork
Le dejeuner anglais
Le dejeuner anglais is an ink print by the Baroque artist Gérard Vidal. It dates from 1772 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Le dejeuner anglais is a print executed in aquatint and etching by French artist Gérard Vidal in 1772. The work presents an interior domestic scene rendered with the fine line work and tonal variations characteristic of the medium, offering a snapshot of everyday life in the late eighteenth century.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts three figures—a seated woman, a standing woman, and a man absorbed in a book—together with a dog positioned beside the seated figure. A modestly furnished room contains a fireplace, a table set with a teapot and cups, and decorative wall moldings, suggesting a quiet, perhaps informal, gathering.
Technique & Style
Vidal combines aquatint’s capacity for broad, velvety washes with the precise line of etching, achieving a richly textured surface. The handling of light and shadow, as well as the detailed rendering of furnishings, aligns the print with the late Baroque aesthetic, emphasizing depth and materiality.
History & Provenance
Created in 1772, the print reflects Vidal’s active period in the years preceding the French Revolution. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work has circulated among collections of eighteenth‑century French prints, illustrating the artist’s engagement with popular domestic subjects.
Context
During the 1770s, French printmakers often turned to genre scenes that documented contemporary manners and interiors. Le dejeuner anglais fits within this trend, offering insight into the social customs of the era, such as tea drinking and mixed‑gender companionship in private spaces.
Artist & collection
