Zelfportret van Jean Jacques de Boissieu met een portret van zijn vrouw

About this artwork

blad: breedte 280 mm (binnen plaatrand afgesneden)

Art Historical Context

This etching by Jean Jacques de Boissieu, created in 1796, presents a double portrait of the artist alongside his wife. Measuring 378 by 280 millimeters, the print captures an intimate moment between the couple, rendered with the precise lines and tonal depth characteristic of the etching medium. De Boissieu, a skilled French printmaker active in the late eighteenth century, used this technique to explore personal subjects during a time of significant social change in France following the Revolution. Etching allowed artists like de Boissieu to achieve fine detail and subtle gradations without the need for extensive painting resources, making it an accessible yet expressive form for both portraits and landscapes. Here, the medium highlights the artist’s technical mastery in conveying likeness and emotion through delicate hatching and shading. The work’s modest scale invites close viewing, emphasizing its role as a private keepsake rather than a grand public statement. As a self-portrait that includes his spouse, the piece offers a glimpse into the domestic life of an artist at the close of the eighteenth century. It reflects the period’s growing interest in individual identity and personal relationships, themes that resonated widely in European art of the era.

About the Artist

Jean Jacques de Boissieu · 1736–1810

French, Lyons 1736–1810 Lyons