The Russian Dance, 1769
Jean-Baptiste Le Prince (French, 1734–1781)
Etching and aquatint printed in brown ink
Artist Biography
Technical Glossary
Jean-Baptiste Le Prince (French, 1734–1781)
Etching and aquatint printed in brown ink
15 x 12 in. (30 x 32.8 cm)
Purchase, Jacob H. Schiff Bequest, 1922 (22.64.1)
The sketches Le Prince made in Russia of exotic costumes and customs served him well when he returned to Paris in 1763. He distributed suites of russeries like this one, in a breezy Rococo style, employing etched tones to make his prints look as though they were drawings in ink and wash. The Russian Dance was included among the prints Le Prince sent to the French Salon in 1769 to demonstrate his development of the aquatint technique.
