This intriguing picture is Boilly’s painted imitation of a print after one of his own compositions (possibly now lost). Although Boilly was an expert in trompe l’oeil, it is unlikely that he intended to trick the viewer into thinking they are looking at an actual print because he does not include the usual clues such as a turned-up corner or a tear or crease in the ‘paper’. Instead, this is an exercise in illusionism, as Boilly demonstrates how one medium (oil painting) can look like another (printing).
The painting follows the precedent of seventeenth-century Dutch artists, such as Gerrit Dou and Casper Netscher, who often used the framing device of a figure sitting at a window and included a relief carving below the windowsill. However, Boilly, who was fascinated by optics, also emphasises the activity of looking by including several optical devices such as telescopes and an eyeglass encouraging the viewer to think about what they are in fact seeing.
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Humphrey Wine, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Eighteenth Century French Paintings’, London 2018; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
This eighteenth-century French frame was made in a Louis XVI style. Crafted from oak, it is carved and water-gilt. The frame features a top flat, followed by a dominant lamb’s-tongue motif, leading to a wider frieze adorned with a bold pearl motif near the sight edge.
When the frame was paired with this painting in 1991, it underwent a meticulous restoration process.
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
