Madame Dugazon in the Opera “Nina, ou La folle par amour” (Nina, or The Woman Maddened by Love)

Aquatint is a printing technique developed in the mid-17th century to create tonality, but it was not until the 18th century that it gained popularity as a means to imitate wash drawings and watercolors.This color aquatint was made to capitalize on the successful one-act musical play Nina, ou La folle par amour (Nina, or The Woman Maddened by Love), which premiered on May 15, 1786. The leading actress, Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre, is seen here at the pivotal moment when Nina, who goes mad believing her fiancé has been murdered, visits the grove where they first proclaimed their love and leaves a bouquet on a bench.