18th-century Engraving On Vellum Depicting The Genius Of Sculpture Or Voltaire Crowned

An 18th-century engraving on vellum depicting The Genius of Sculpture, or Voltaire Crowned. The drawing was made by Antoine Boizot (1704–1782) and engraved using aquatint by Ridé (active circa 1780–1800). Part of a series of allegories of the arts—painting, architecture, etc.—all depicted within a hexagon, this rather rare representation shows a young woman dressed in classical style sculpting the bust of the crowned Voltaire, while Cupid illuminates the scene with a torch. The artist, Antoine Boizot, won the Prix de Rome in 1730, entered the Royal Academy of Painting in 1736, and later became the official painter and designer for the Gobelins Manufactory. As for Ridé, the engraver of the allegorical plates of the arts, little or nothing is known of his life. The print appears to be presented in its original mat. However, it has been reframed in a giltwood frame. There is some foxing on the image and the mat. The frame has a small chip.