About this artwork
This image illustrates Virginie, on the far right, bidding farewell to her family before boarding a ship bound for Paris. The drama of the scene is heightened by moody contrasts between moonlight and shadow, as well as the island’s exaggeratedly “exotic” geography, which includes the rocky cliff where the family has gathered. Virginie’s pained mother reaches out to her, while Paul clasps Virginie’s waist in protest and gestures towards the waiting vessel, pleading for permission to join her. The work also depicts the story’s narrator for the first time, shown here on the left next to Paul’s mother.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Charles Melchior Descourtis
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Title
- The Departure, plate 4 from Paul et Virginie
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Place
- France (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- Made 1795
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Medium
- Etching and engraving printed in yellow, blue, red, and black inks on paper
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Dimensions
- Image: 37.5 × 41.2 cm (14 13/16 × 16 1/4 in.); Sheet, cut within platemark: 41.6 × 47.4 cm (16 7/16 × 18 11/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- The Joseph Brooks Fair Collection
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Reference Number
- 1926.481
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/28762/manifest.json
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 . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
