Le lever
1774
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1774
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Le lever is a 1774 ink by Antoine Louis Romanet, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a woman in a fancy bed, half-dressing with a maid helping. A man stands nearby, holding back a heavy curtain. The room looks rich—silk sheets, a carved chair, and a mirror on the wall. Light streams in from the side, making the fabrics glow. The title *Le lever* means "getting up," but the mood feels dreamy, not rushed. The artist used fine lines to capture the fabric’s texture and the softness of the scene. Next, check out the technique: etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how prints like this were made.
