ticketsMember | Make a donation

A man wearing a mask drinking a cup of coffee (Le Masque au Caffé), title page to "Divers Portraits"

1775
Not on view
Most of Giovanni David's etchings that were published by his Genoese patron in Venice are infused with the sophistication and theatricality that characterized the city's culture in the eighteenth century. This print is the frontispiece to a series of twelve prints, the 'Divers Portraits'. All of the types shown are characteristic of Venice and its environs. Inscribed with French poems on society's customs and morals drawn from the works of the French satirist Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux. Here, we see a masked reveler taking refreshment in one of the coffeehouses first introduced in the eighteenth century. The series is dedicated to Domenico Corvi, David's teacher in Rome.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: A man wearing a mask drinking a cup of coffee (Le Masque au Caffé), title page to "Divers Portraits"
  • Series/Portfolio: Divers Portraits
  • Artist: Giovanni David (Italian, Cabella Ligure 1749–1790 Genoa)
  • Date: 1775
  • Medium: Etching and aquatint; second state of two
  • Dimensions: Plate: 9 5/16 × 6 1/2 in. (23.7 × 16.5 cm)
    Sheet: 15 5/16 × 10 13/16 in. (38.9 × 27.5 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1979
  • Object Number: 1979.525.1
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 4 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Virgin and Child, Giovanni David Italian, Etching
Virgin and Child
Giovanni David
Domenico Corvi
1776
Saint Sebastian, Giovanni David Italian, Etching; first state of two
Saint Sebastian
Giovanni David
1770–90
The Death of Procris, Giovanni David Italian, Etching
The Death of Procris
Giovanni David
1770–90
Icarus and Daedalus, Giovanni David Italian, Etching
Icarus and Daedalus
Giovanni David
1775

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.