Un enfant assis sur une motte de terre (An enfant seated on a clod of earth), after Le Petit Savoyard by François Boucher, from Suite d'estampes gravées par madame la marquise de Pompadour d'après les pierres gravées de Guay, graveur du Roi 1751

"Un enfant assis sur une motte de terre" after François Boucher, was etched by Madame de Pompadour in the 18th century. Madame de Pompadour, mistress to King Louis XV, lived in a society defined by rigid class structures. This print, part of a series, offers insight into the aesthetic preferences and social values of the French court. The image depicts a child, based on "Le Petit Savoyard" by François Boucher, seated on a mound of earth. The child's clothing and accoutrements indicate a peasant origin, yet the image feels idealized. Pompadour’s portrayal softens the realities of poverty, perhaps reflecting the elite's distance from the struggles of the lower classes. This approach was typical of Rococo art, where pastoral themes were fashionable and re-imagined. This print invites us to reflect on the complexities of class, representation, and the role of art in shaping perceptions of social realities. It is a reminder that the stories we tell through art are always shaped by the perspectives and positions of those who create them.