Le Mari Confesseur, from "Contes et nouvelles en vers par Jean de La Fontaine. A Paris, de l'imprimerie de P. Didot, l'an III de la République, 1795"

Art Historical Context

"Le Mari Confesseur" is a delightful etching from a luxurious 1795 edition of Jean La Fontaine's *Contes et nouvelles en*, printed in Paris by the renowned Pierre Didot l'aîné during the French Republic's third year. This playful illustration captures one of La Fontaine's, often risqué tales from his 17th-century collection where a husband plays confessor in a tale of marital mischief. Produced amid the Revolution's aftermath, the volume reflects a brief resurgence of elegant book arts, blending Enlightenment wit with neoclassical refinement. Jean Honoré Fragonard, the celebrated Rococo master known for his frolicsome scenes of love and intrigue, likely designed the composition, while Jean-Baptiste Tilliard executed the etching in its rare first state of three (as noted by Cohen). Etching's fine lines allowed for intricate details in the figures—tagged simply as men and women—evoking Fragonard's signature lightness and sensuality. Printed on a grand scale (sheet: 13 11/16 × 10 in.), it exemplifies Didot's innovative typography and high-quality impressions, making it a collector's gem. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1933), this print bridges La Fontaine's timeless moral fables with 18th-century opulence, offering visitors a window into how Revolutionary France revived aristocratic pleasures through art.

About the Artist

Jean de La Fontaine|Jean Honoré Fragonard|Jean-Baptiste Tilliard|Pierre Didot l'ainé (French|French|French) · 1621 |1750 | –1695 |1780 |

French, Château-Thierry 1621–1695 Paris|active ca. 1750 (?)–1780|Paris