Framed Print of Romantic Engraving 'L'Orage' - 22¾" x 19¼

This striking photogravure, titled L’Orage (The Storm), is a late 19th-century engraving based on the celebrated 1880 painting by French academic artist Pierre Auguste Cot (1837-1883). The image depicts a young couple, barefoot and entwined, rushing through a stormy landscape, their flowing garments caught in the wind. The scene is both dramatic and tender, capturing the intensity of youthful love and nature’s raw beauty. The dynamic composition and romantic subject made Cot’s original an instant favorite among 19th-century audiences. The engraving captures the richness of Cot’s original through its fine tonal detail and atmospheric rendering. Framed in a worn black and gilt wooden frame, this piece embodies the romantic sensibility and refined taste of the Belle Époque. Subtle signs of age, such as foxing and patina, only enhance its authenticity and historical charm.

The original engraving was executed by Amédée and Eugène Varin, accomplished engravers of the period, and published in 1885 by Boussod, Valadon & Cie. A U.S. edition followed, issued by M. Knoedler & Co., likely around 1889, shortly after Cot’s original painting was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1887. The timing of the photogravure's international publication suggests it was intended to capitalize on the painting’s growing acclaim, particularly in American cultural circles. 

This engraving embodies the romantic spirit and refined taste of the Belle Époque. Ideal for an elegant living room or refined study, it also lends itself beautifully to a bedroom setting, where its lyrical composition and romantic tone can create a serene and intimate atmosphere. L’Orage is both a timeless visual statement and a poetic homage to the power of love and nature.