Les Petits Buveurs de lait (The Little Milk Drinkers), from Suite d'estampes gravées par madame la marquise de Pompadour d'après les pierres gravées de Guay, graveur du Roi

Art Historical Context

**Les Petits Buve de lait (The Little Drinkers)**, created in 1751, is a delightful print from a rare suite engraved by Madame la Marquise de Pompad, the influential mistress of King Louis XV and a passionate arts patron. Working after designs based on engraved gemstones by the royal engraver Guay,padour herself executed the etching and engraving—a remarkable feat for a noblewoman of her era. Associated with François Boucher, the preeminent Rococo artist known his playful, elegant scenes, this work captures the movement's whimsical charm in a compact sheet measuring just 7 5/16 × 5 13/16 inches. The image depicts endearing children sipping milk, evoking innocence and everyday joy amid the opulent world of Versailles. Rococo prints like this one democratized art, translating intimate gem engravings—miniature masterpieces popular among the elite—into accessible etchings. Pompadour's involvement underscores her cultural legacy, blending aristocratic refinement with hands-on artistry during France's Enlightenment heyday. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Robert Hartshorne, 1924), it invites visitors to appreciate how 18th-century nobility bridged classical antiquity and modern printmaking, one milky sip at a time.