Twee vrouwen met ontblote borsten voor een spiegel 1786

Jean François Janinet created this print, Two Women with Bare Breasts Before a Mirror, using etching and aquatint. The composition is immediately striking with its use of light and shadow. The women, rendered in soft, delicate lines, are bathed in a gentle light that contrasts with the darker, more somber background. Janinet destabilizes traditional portraiture by focusing not just on physical appearance but on the performative aspects of beauty. The mirror, a key element, acts as a signifier, prompting questions about self-perception and societal expectations. Semiotically, we see how the artist uses clothing—or lack thereof—to engage with contemporary ideas about femininity and representation. The texture achieved through aquatint adds depth, inviting us to consider how materiality shapes meaning. The print isn't just an aesthetic object but a site where ideas about gender, beauty, and spectatorship intersect and are continuously negotiated.