Louis-Marin Bonnet (French, 1736-1793)

Louis-Marin Bonnet (French, 1736-1793) Head of a Woman (after Francois Boucher), about 1771 Color chalk-manner etching and engraving Dudley P. Allen Fund 1996.6	This woman is thought to be Boucher's daughter, Jean-Elisabeth Victoire, who was married to the artist's favorite pupil, Jean-Baptiste Henri Deshays.
Louis-Marin Bonnet (French, 1736-1793) Nude Woman Sitting on a Bed (after François Boucher,, 1764-67 Chalk-manner etching and engraving printed in black and white inks on blue paper John L. Severance Fund 1988.151	Early attempts to imitate two-color chalk drawings on colored papers--by printing from two plates in black and white inks on blue paper--were unsuccessful because the lead white ink discolored after exposure to light. Bonnet, however, succeeded in developing a stable white ink in 1764 and, to avoid competition, guarded his formula well. Regrettably, he only published about two dozen examples of printing in black and white inks on blue paper between about 1764 and 1774, since the brilliant white and rich black inks provide a startingly effective contrast to the fresh color of the blue paper.

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