Villiers Huët

Villiers Huët made 1804 print portraits of M. Deshayes and M. d’Egville in costume, stiff-collared and posed mid-performance. Their stiff lace ruffs and powdered hair sit against a blank backdrop, the only lines the dancers’ feet and the sheen on their stockings. The ink feels cool and precise, like a snapshot cut from a playbill. Swipe to see how this crisp print tradition framed the year’s stage stars.