The Four Times of Day: Le Matin

Art Historical Context

Created in 1776 by designer Jean-Baptiste Huet I and printmaker Gilles Demarteau, *The Four Times of Day: Le Matin* captures the gentle rhythms of a rural morning. This etching belongs to a four-part series the hours of the day, a popular theme in eighteenth-century France that celebrated nature’s quiet cycles. Huet, renowned for his charming pastoral subjects, fills the scene with women tending sheep and horses, accompanied by watchful dogs—elements that evoke the idealized countryside life cherished by Parisian audiences of the period. Printed in the delicate crayon-manner technique for which Demarteau was celebrated, the work translates the soft textures of drawings into widely accessible prints. At roughly 10 5/8 by 13 3/4 inches, its intimate scale invites close looking, revealing fine details of fleece, harness, and foliage. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2008, the etching preserves a moment of eighteenth-century elegance while reminding viewers of the enduring appeal of simple, harmonious scenes from daily life.