La cruche cassee
1773
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1773
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes. She holds a small bouquet of flowers in one hand and rests her other hand on a broken vase. Behind her, a stone bust sits on a ledge, and the whole scene is framed inside a circular border. The woman’s calm face and the broken vase suggest a quiet, maybe sad story. This print was made using a method that lets artists add fine lines and textures. Look up etching to see how artists like Massard created these detailed prints.
