Le Billet doux
1778
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Nicolas Delaunay
Nicolas Delaunay (1739–1792) was a French artist, born in Paris.
See the richer artist page1778
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Le Billet doux is a 1778 ink by Nicolas Delaunay, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This room looks fancy and busy. Three people are inside: a man in a powdered wig stands holding a paper, a woman in a fancy dress sits reading, and another woman in a flowing gown lounges near a harpsichord. The walls are covered in gold, mirrors, and carvings. A fireplace sits in the middle, with a rug on the floor and chairs around. The man seems to be handing the reading woman a folded note—maybe a love letter. The woman by the harpsichord looks relaxed, like she’s waiting for something. This is an etching, so the artist used sharp lines to create the scene. Check out etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how it works.
Nicolas Delaunay (1739–1792) was a French artist, born in Paris.
See the richer artist page
