About this artwork
Long banished from official court functions, Voltaire continued entertaining his intellectual friends even into his twilight years. Here the artist Denon, who actively solicited an invitation from Voltaire, shows the philosopher as a doddering, toothless old man in his bedroom at his Ferney estate, near the Swiss border. Voltaire and Denon would later disagree about the arguably satirical intent of this scene and of another portrait by Denon. Nonetheless, the resulting engraving was prized by collectors. Thomas Jefferson purchased an impression during a visit to France and later presented it to his grandson-in-law as a wedding present.
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Currently Off View
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Louis-Joseph Masquelier
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Title
- The Lunch at Ferney
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Origin
- France
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Date
- 1775
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Medium
- Engraving on paper
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Dimensions
- 158 × 191 mm (plate); 203.5 × 244 mm (sheet)
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Credit Line
- The Wallace L. DeWolf and Joseph Brooks Fair Collections
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Reference Number
- 1920.2367
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email .
