Inventor of Greek Figures, Plate 10

Poking fun at the vogue for classical antiquities that gripped Enlightenment Europe, French architect Ennemond Alexandre Petitot portrayed himself as an elaborately dressed Greek statue in a drawing on which this print is likely based. The popularization of classical elements and motifs in fine and decorative arts during this period was known as the goût grec, or "Greek taste." Revered for its perceived simplicity and grandeur, ancient Greek art was believed to reflect the physical health and moral character of that civilization. Here reproduced by engraver Benigno Bossi, Petitot’s design whimsically parodies the artist and his time, transforming the elegance and sobriety of classical Greece into the excess and extravagance of the 1700s.

A vertically oriented etching in black ink depicts a man with light skin, square spectacles, and a tall, striped hat with tassels. Standing between a fluted column and a pyramid, he holds a compass over an architectural plan. Draped in heavily folded robes with Greek meander patterns, he faces forward. A broken stone capital rests on the ground to our right. Fine hatching and dots create dense shadows across the composition.

Inventor of Greek Figures, Plate 10

1771

Benigno Bossi, Ennemond Alexandre Petitot

(Italian, 1727–1792), (French, 1727-1801)

Italy, 18th century

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