The Lover Surprised (L'Amant Surpris)
Charles Melchior Descourtis
1793–1803
- Medium
- Wash manner etching and engraving printed in blue, red, yellow, and black inks
- Dimensions
- Sheet: 57 x 45 cm (22 7/16 x 17 11/16 in.); to borderline: 46.5 x 37.5 cm (18 5/16 x 14 3/4 in.)
- Genre
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Styles
Tags
France, 18th century
About
A young woman surprises her sweetheart, whom she has found reading love letters in a wooded park. The love-struck fellow carries a miniature portrait of her as a keepsake. Verdant foliage, a nearby brook, and a blooming rosebush signal fertility and the bounty of life. The nude female statue sitting on a pedestal seems to watch the playful lovers.
