Genius of the Arts

François-Nicolas Chifflart was an important member of the etching revival in 19th-century France. This print, from his 1865 series Improvisations on Copper, reveals the freedom and experimentation that Chifflart found in this medium. He drew directly on prepared copper plates, sketching as he would on a sheet of paper, to create both anecdotal studies and imaginative finished compositions. Executed on an intimate scale, the prints encouraged close looking and private contemplation.