Antique Fragonard “The Magnificent” Etching 🎭 1883 by Potemont, Limited Edition of 400, Framed with COA

What Is Happening Behind the Curtain? 🎭 Fragonard "The Magnificent" (Le Magnifique) 1883 Potemont Etching, La Fontaine's Contes, Limited Edition of 400, Framed with COA

Size: 5 3/8" x 7 3/4" image, about 14" x 17" framed ~ Little to no wear.

A lady sits on the settee with her fan while one gentleman holds the curtain aside, and the other, wide-eyed, grabs the door frame like he's thinking about bolting. That's Fragonard's scene for Le Magnifique, one of La Fontaine's verse tales, etched by Adolphe Martial Potemont for J. Lemonnyer's 1883 Paris edition of the Contes. It comes framed, with the gallery's certificate.

🎨 About This Work
This 1883 antique etching titled The Magnificent (Le Magnifique) represents a collaboration across centuries between two important figures in French art: Jean‑Honoré Fragonard, whose original drawing dates to the eighteenth century, and Adolphe Martial Potemont, the nineteenth‑century engraver who translated Fragonard’s composition into print near the end of his life. Limited to just 400 impressions, this work stands as a museum-grade example of French reproductive printmaking.

🖌️ Jean‑Honoré Fragonard
Jean‑Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806) was one of the leading artists of the French Rococo period, celebrated for his expressive line, theatrical compositions, and intimate narrative scenes. His drawings and paintings often explored themes of elegance, wit, and human interaction, rendered with fluid movement and emotional nuance. Fragonard’s works are held today in major museum collections worldwide and remain central to the study of eighteenth‑century French art.

🪶 Adolphe Martial Potemont
Adolphe Martial Potemont (1828–1883) was a respected French engraver, etcher, and illustrator whose career bridged fine art and literary illustration. Known for his technical precision and sensitivity to original compositions, Potemont’s engravings played an important role in preserving and disseminating earlier masterworks. The Magnificent came out in 1883, the year Potemont died.

🖼️ What You Are Looking At
This etching is based on Fragonard’s original drawing and captures the expressive character and refined gesture typical of his Rococo style. Potemont’s engraving preserves the fluidity of Fragonard’s line while introducing the tonal depth and structure characteristic of nineteenth‑century printmaking. The result is a work that bridges two artistic eras, combining eighteenth‑century design with nineteenth‑century craftsmanship.

📚 Documentation
The etching dates to 1883 and is part of a limited edition of 400 impressions, both recorded on the Certificate of Authenticity from KCM Galleries that comes with it.

🖼️ Framing & Presentation
The artwork was professionally matted and framed to museum grade using all new materials: an ornate gold and silver patterned moulding with a cream linen mat and a black inner mat. The framing complements the etching without distracting from its historical character. The piece is ready to display upon arrival.

📏 Dimensions
Image size: 5⅜ × 7¾ inches
Framed dimensions: approximately 14 × 17 inches

✨ Condition
The etching is in excellent antique condition with strong detail and a clean impression. The frame is professionally assembled. Please review all photographs for exact condition.

🏛️ Significance
The Magnificent represents the intersection of Rococo artistry and nineteenth‑century engraving tradition. As a late work by Potemont after a master drawing by Fragonard, it offers collectors a documented and historically meaningful example of how French artistic heritage was preserved and reinterpreted across generations.

📦 Shipping
Ships securely boxed and padded to ensure safe delivery.