La balancoire mysterieuse
1784
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1784
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
La balancoire mysterieuse is a 1784 ink by Gérard Vidal, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows three naked women in a wooded clearing. One woman sits on a rock, holding a long pole with a rope tied to it. Another woman swings from the rope, kicking her legs. The third woman stands nearby, watching. The background is thick with trees and bushes, and the ground has scattered leaves and a pile of clothes. The artist used shading to make the scene feel dramatic and shadowy. The women’s poses look relaxed but also a bit mysterious. Look up etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how this print was made.
