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Jean Honoré Fragonard

1778 · Etching, third state of three · Drawings and Prints

Artistic training was also a family affair in the household of the painter Fragonard. His wife, Marie Anne Gérard Fragonard (1745–1823), painted miniatures on ivory and his son Alexandre Evariste Fragonard (1780–1850) and sister-in-law Marguerite Gérard (1761–1837) both became artists. In 1778, Fragonard embarked on a project teaching teenage Gérard to etch. The five prints she made over the course of the year were all modeled on wash drawings by Fragonard. In most cases, the subjects chosen were humorous or sentimental scenes of domestic life. Fragonard also returned to etching at this time, although his style and technique were distinctly his own.

Artist

Jean Honoré Fragonard

Date

1778

Medium

Etching, third state of three

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Roland L. Redmond Gift, Louis V. Bell and Rogers Funds, 1972