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Engraver Gilles Demarteau , Flemish, 1722-1776

After François Boucher , French, 1703-1770

Title

Venus Crowned by Love

MediumCrayon-mannor on paper

Dimensions

Sheet: 20.2 x 26.2 cm

Credit LinePurchased, 1991

Object numberNGI.20853

DescriptionGilles Demarteau was a specialist in the crayon manner. This printmaking technique was invented in the mid 1750s by J.C. François in order to mimic popular drawings in the rococo style. It involves rolling a roulette, a small spiked wheel, over an etching ground to give a crumbly dotted line, similar to a chalk line. Demarteau so refined the technique that his prints were often mistaken for the original red and black chalk drawings. He collaborated with Boucher during the last ten years of the artist's life.
Inscriptionsigned and dated in replica: Par Boucher 1er. Peintre du Roy./Gravée par Demarteau 1773