Earth.
1875-1890
This opulent engraving, titled 'La Terre' (The Earth), is a feast for the eyes, bursting with the swirling acanthus leaves and symmetrical grandeur typical of the French Baroque style. At the top, a muscular figure strains to hold up the globe labeled 'Terra', while below, a serene figure rides a lion-drawn chariot through a landscape, representing the bounty and power of the earth. While the provided context attributes this to the famous cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle, the text on the print identifies the designer as Daniel Marot, a Huguenot refugee who fled France to bring this lavish 'Louis XIV' aesthetic to the English court of William and Mary. This specific plate (No. 57) appears to be a 19th-century reproduction celebrating Marot's influential designs for furniture and royal interiors.
- Technique
- Engraving