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The Cupboard
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Fragonard designed this popular etching to delight his viewers, who spy on the dramatic scene like the eavesdropping servants in the background. A maiden weeps as her boyfriend, caught hiding in a wardrobe, sheepishly faces the girl’s angry parents. Rumpled bed sheets and the position of the hat give away the passionate activities of the young lovers. Comically, the hat with a broad ribbon held by the boy belongs to his girlfriend. His plain hat with a buttoned-up brim hangs in the cupboard.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe Cupboard, 1778. Jean-Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). Etching; sheet: 39.1 x 52.3 cm (15 3/8 x 20 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Edwin R. and Harriet Pelton Perkins Memorial Fund, 1994.196
