Ciel! ô ciel! qui vois-je à ses côtés?
1775
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1775
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This etching shows a dramatic sky above a shadowy figure on the ground. Thick, swirling clouds split open, letting in slashes of light. The person looks up, arms raised, as if surprised by the sudden change. Levasseur was an engraver who worked in Paris in the late 1700s. He didn’t paint—he carved images onto metal plates. This print uses drypoint, where a needle scratches lines into the plate for a soft, velvety effect. Check out more drypoint prints by Levasseur at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
