Plate 3: Shepherd tickling a sleeping Shepherdess with a piece of straw, from Troisieme Livre de Sujets et Pastorales (Third Book of Subjects and Pastorals)

Art Historical Context

This charming print, Plate3 from François Boucher *Troisième Livre Sujets et Pastorales* (Third Book of Subjects and Pastorals), captures the playful spirit of 18th-century French Rococo art. Designed by Boucher and etched and engraved by Gabriel Huquier between 1720 and 1772, the scene shows a shepherd gently tickling a sleeping shepherdess with a straw, surrounded by animals in an idyllic countryside. Such pastoral subjects reflected the era’s fascination with idealized rural life, offering aristocratic viewers an escape into lighthearted romance and nature. The medium of etching and engraving allowed these elegant compositions to reach a wide audience through published books of prints. Huquier’s precise linework beautifully translates Boucher’s fluid, decorative style—marked by soft curves, delicate details, and a sense of graceful movement—into reproducible form. Created during the height of the Rococo period, the work exemplifies how prints served both as affordable art objects and as ornamental designs for interiors. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this sheet from the Elisha Whittelsey Collection highlights the period’s blend of whimsy and technical refinement, inviting viewers to appreciate the subtle humor and tender interaction between the figures.

About the Artist

François Boucher|Gabriel Huquier|Gabriel Huquier · 1703–1770

François Boucher (1703–1770) stands as the quintessential master of French Rococo painting and the most celebrated decorative artist of the 18th century. Born in Paris to a lace designer, Boucher created a visual language that perfectly embodied the refined taste, sensuality, and elegance of Louis XV's court. His prolific output—encompassing paintings, tapestry designs, theatrical sets, and decora...