The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 16, 2024

The Lover Surprised (L'Amant Surpris)

The Lover Surprised (L'Amant Surpris)

c. 1798
(French, 1753–1820)
(French, 1752–1825)
France, 18th century
Wash manner etching and engraving printed in blue, red, yellow, and black inks
Sheet: 57 x 45 cm (22 7/16 x 17 11/16 in.); to borderline: 46.5 x 37.5 cm (18 5/16 x 14 3/4 in.)
Gift of the Print Club of Cleveland in honor of the museum's one-hundredth anniversary 2015.151
Catalogue raisonné: Portalis/Béraldi 3; Model/Springer p. 50, plate 20.
Location: not on view

Description

A young woman surprises her sweetheart, whom she has found reading love letters in a wooded park. The love-struck fellow carries a miniature portrait of her as a keepsake. Verdant foliage, a nearby brook, and a blooming rosebush signal fertility and the bounty of life. The nude female statue sitting on a pedestal seems to watch the playful lovers.
  • Elegance and Intrigue: French Society in 18th-century Prints and Drawings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 16-November 6, 2016).
  • {{cite web|title=The Lover Surprised (L'Amant Surpris)|url=false|author=Charles-Melchior Descourtis, Frédéric Schall|year=c. 1798|access-date=16 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2015.151