The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

The Lover Surprised (L'Amant Surpris)

c. 1798

Charles-Melchior Descourtis

(French, 1753–1820)

after Frédéric Schall

(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=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

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