Nopce de Village
18th century
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 5 1/16 × 7 5/16 in. (12.8 × 18.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.4354
Art Historical Context
This charming 18th-century etching, titled *Nopce de Village* (likely “Noces de Village,” or “Village Wedding”), was created by Quentin Pierre Chedel, also associated with the name Chereau. The work depicts a festive rural celebration, a popular subject that captured everyday French life during the period. As an etching, the medium enabled fine, expressive lines and subtle tonal effects through the controlled use of acid on copper plates, allowing artists to produce affordable, widely distributable images that reached audiences beyond wealthy collectors. Prints such as this one played an impo...