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A work made of etching and engraving in yellow, blue, red, and black on paper.

The Prayer, plate 6 from Paul et Virginie

1795-97

Charles-Melchior Descourtis (French, 1753-1820) after Jean Frédéric Schall (French, 1752-1825)

France

In this print the other characters keep the discovery of Virginie’s body a secret from Paul, because he has been inconsolable in the weeks since the shipwreck. This scene shows Paul, Domingue, and the narrator praying near the church where, unbeknownst to Paul, Virginie has already been buried. In the coming months, most of the characters will succumb to illness, insanity, or death as they are consumed by their grief, leaving only the narrator to recount the story.

Etching and engraving in yellow, blue, red, and black on paper

Prints and Drawings