Ego Mater pulchrae dilectionis Eccl. 24.

1668

Not on view

Between 1668 and 1687, Claudine Bouzonnet Stella created six prints after French classical painter Nicolas Poussin. Here, in the earliest of the group, Bouzonnet Stella already demonstrates her virtuosity at translating Poussin’s paintings into a grayscale. Bold engraved lines consolidate the Holy Family group in the foreground. By contrast, wavering strokes of etching lend the distant landscape a haziness true to Poussin’s atmospheric horizons. The Latin title of this work was mysteriously erased from the plate before printing, perhaps to appeal to a broader audience. According to an earlier state of the print, Bouzonnet Stella had quoted a line from Ecclesiasticus 24 that references the Virgin Mary, thus underscoring her visual centrality in the composition.

Yasemin Altun, June 2024

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Ego Mater pulchrae dilectionis Eccl. 24.
Artist: Claudine Bouzonnet Stella (French, Lyons 1636–1697 Paris)
Artist: After Nicolas Poussin (French, Les Andelys 1594–1665 Rome)
Date: 1668
Medium: Etching and engraving
Dimensions: Sheet: 17 1/8 × 21 1/8 in. (43.5 × 53.6 cm)
Plate: 16 11/16 × 20 5/8 in. (42.4 × 52.4 cm)
Mat: 20 1/4 × 26 1/2 in. (51.4 × 67.3 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Object Number: 53.600.1138
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

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Holy Family on the Steps, Claudine Bouzonnet Stella French, Engraving and etching — Holy Family on the Steps
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