The Cupboard

Description

Fragonard designed this popular etching to delight his viewers, who spy on the dramatic scene like the eavesdropping servants in the background. A maiden weeps as her boyfriend, caught hiding in a wardrobe, sheepishly faces the girl’s angry parents. Rumpled bed sheets and the position of the hat give away the passionate activities of the young lovers. Comically, the hat with a broad ribbon held by the boy belongs to his girlfriend. His plain hat with a buttoned-up brim hangs in the cupboard.

Provenance

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The Cupboard

Jean-Honoré Fragonard

1778

Accession Number

1994.196

Medium

etching

Dimensions

Sheet: 39.1 x 52.3 cm (15 3/8 x 20 9/16 in.)

Classification

Print

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Edwin R. and Harriet Pelton Perkins Memorial Fund