Marchez tout doux, parlez tout bas
1782
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1782
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Marchez tout doux, parlez tout bas is a 1782 ink by Pierre-Philippe Choffard, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a woman in a low-cut dress standing in a dim, cluttered room. She’s reaching out toward a man who’s leaning in through an open window, holding a hat. A pile of clothes lies on the floor, and another person is slumped on the bed in the background. The artist used sharp lines to create drama—notice how the woman’s gesture and the man’s shadowy face make the scene feel tense. This was made in 1782, and the title means *"Walk softly, speak quietly."* Look up etching to see how artists like this carved images into metal plates.
