Who painted Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse)?

Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse) was painted by François Hubert in 1767.

Where can I see Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse)?

Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse)?

Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse) is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse)?

Museum-quality prints of Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse) are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse)

François Hubert , 1767

Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist François Hubert. It dates from 1767 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:In plate, below image at left: Greuse delin.; in plate, below image, at right: Hubert Sculp. Anne’e 1767; in plate, below image at center: RETOUR DE NOURICE. / Dedieé à Madame de Damery. / Le Dessein est au Cabinet de Mr. de Damery Par son très humble et très Obeissant Serviteur / Chevalier de l’Ordre Royal Militaire de St. Louis Beauvarlet / A Paris chez Beauvarlet Graveur du Roy. rue St. St. Jacques vis ‘a vis celle des Mathurins

About this work

Overview

Retour de Nour(r)ice (Return from the Wet Nurse) is a 1767 etching and engraving on laid paper by François Hubert, currently part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a weary family's reunion in a dimly lit room, with a woman (implied to be a returning wet nurse) tending a baby amidst gathered children, while a man observes from near a window, conveying a sense of everyday domestic life and possibly the nuances of family dynamics and caregiving arrangements.

Technique & Style

Hubert employed sharp, detailed lines to render intricate textures, capturing every fold in clothing and wrinkle on faces, characteristic of precise engraving techniques.

History & Provenance

Created in 1767, the work is now held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, though its history prior to acquisition is not detailed here.

Context

Reflecting 18th-century European life, the scene offers insight into domestic interiors and the role of wet nurses during that era, highlighting both the intimacy of family life and the economic realities influencing childcare.