Apollo, Mercury, and the Shepherdesses, Fable X in La Motte, Fables Nouvelles

Art Historical Context

In the enchanting world of early 18th-century French literature and art, *Apollo, Mercury, and Shepherdesses, Fable X* from Houdar de La Mot's *Fables Nouvelles* (171) captures a mythological tableau through the masterful etching of Charles Nicolas Cochin I after designs by Charles Antoine Coypel This petite print, measuring just 3 1/8 × 3 7/8 inches, exemplifies the Rococo era's delight in elegant, narrative scenes blending classical gods with pastoral charm. La Motte's fables, inspired by Aesop but infused with French wit, offered moral lessons in verse, and this illustration brings Fable X to life for readers. Etching, a precise intaglio technique where acid bites into a metal plate to create intricate lines, allowed Cochin's fine detailing of figures and landscapes—perfect for book illustrations. Coypel, a leading painter at Versailles, contributed dynamic compositions that bridged painting and printmaking, making high art accessible. Produced during the Regency period under Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, such works reflected a cultural shift toward lighter, playful themes amid France's opulent artistic scene. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Rogers Fund, 1962), this rarity invites visitors to ponder timeless fables: how do divine tricksters like Mercury and the musically gifted Apollo interact with simple shepherdesses? A gem of collaborative genius, it showcases printmaking's role in democratizing storytelling.