Vignette (Tome I.er, page 164, lib. II, fab. 15), depicting Cephalus and Aurora, from "Les Métamorphoses d'Ovide en Latin et en François de la traduction de M. l'Abbé Banier de l'Académie Royale des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. Avec des explications historiques. A Paris Chez Despilly rue saint Jacques à la croix d'or. MDCCLXVII. Avec Approbation et Privilège du Roi"

Art Historical Context

This delicate etching and engraving captures a tender mythological moment from Ovid’s *Metamorphoses*, specifically the encounter between the hunter Cephalus and the goddess Aurora. Created around 1765 as a vignette for Abbé Banier’s lavish French-Latin edition published in Paris, the print illustrates Book II, fable 15, where Aurora’s chariot pauses at dawn as she gazes upon the sleeping Cephalus. Designed by François Boucher, the leading voice of French Rococo, and expertly engraved by Augustin de Saint-Aubin, the composition blends graceful figures, playful putti, and spirited horses within a compact, ornamental frame. The third state of four reveals the refined collaboration between painter and printmaker that defined mid-eighteenth-century book illustration. Boucher’s characteristic lightness of touch—soft modeling, flowing drapery, and an air of gentle sensuality—is translated into crisp etched lines and subtle tonal engraving. At just under eight inches tall, the sheet was intended to delight readers turning the pages of Banier’s scholarly yet luxurious volume, bringing classical poetry vividly to life for an educated Parisian audience. Today housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this print exemplifies how Rococo artists used reproductive media to spread ancient stories across Europe. Its intimate scale and decorative elegance remind us of the period’s fascination with mythology as both moral lesson and visual pleasure.

About the Artist

François Boucher|Augustin de Saint-Aubin|Ovid|Abbé Banier|Chez Despilly · 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...