Jean Jacques Flipart’s engraving, “L'Oiseau Privé”, c.1769, after François Boucher

Jean Jacques Flipart (1719–1782)

“L'Oiseau Privé” (aka “The Tamed Bird”), c.1769, after François Boucher (1703–1770).

Etching and engraving on laid paper with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 27.1 x 20 cm; (plate) 25.3 x 18.1 xm; (image bordeline) 23.6 x 17.4 cm.

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower centre) “L'Oiseau Privé.”

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Bouché prer. Peintre du Roi Pinx”; (centre) “à Paris Chés Flipart montagne Ste Genevieve Chés Mr. Levié Orfevre”; (right): “F. Flipart le jeune Sculp.”

Jean-Richard 252.1011 (Pierrette Jean-Richard 1978, “Musée du Louvre. Cabinet des Dessins Collection Edmond de de Rothschild. Inventaire général des gravures. École français. I. L'oeuvre gravé de François Boucher dans la Collection Edmond de Rothschild” vol. I, Paris, 1978, cat. no. 1011, p. 252, ill.).

See also the descriptions of this print at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Clark Museum:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/394293;

https://www.clarkart.edu/Collection/8968.

To 18th century French viewers, this charmingly romantic image may have meanings deeper than what is portrayed. For example, when this image is seen in context with the pendant print of a young girl with a dead bird (see https://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/2714.html?mulR=984926873%7C8) the intimate scene shown here may be read as a corollary to the girl’s love relationships and the pendant scene of a girl with a dead bird may be read as the girl’s loss of her lover and her virginity.

Condition: strong and well-printed/near faultless impression trimmed with a small margin around the platemark. There are restored abrasions in the upper margin and light dustiness to the margins, otherwise the sheet is in very good condition for its age and is laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this very beautiful and romantic engraving showing a young girl in what I see as a disciplinary dialogue of hand gestures with her pet bird, for AU$238 (currently US$166.34/EUR146.56/GBP131.54 at the time of posting this print) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this delicate engraving after Boucher, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print is available for purchase