Madame Dugazon in the Opera “Nina, ou La folle par amour” (Nina, or The Woman Maddened by Love)
Medium
Wash-manner aquatint in color on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 31.5 × 23.3 cm (12 7/16 × 9 3/16 in.); Plate: 43 × 31.8 cm (16 15/16 × 12 9/16 in.); Sheet: 56.9 × 43.3 cm (22 7/16 × 17 1/16 in.)
Classification
aquatint
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19578
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Aquatint is a printing technique developed in the mid-17th century to create tonality, but it was not until the 18th century that it gained popularity as a means to imitate wash drawings and watercolors. This color aquatint was made to capitalize on the successful one-act musical play Nina, ou La folle par amour (Nina, or The Woman Maddened by Love), which premiered on May 15, 1786. The leading actress, Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre, is seen here at the pivotal moment when Nina, who goes mad believin...