Mariamne - Dominique Sornique

A detailed eighteenth-century etching by Dominique Sornique, illustrating a dramatic scene from Voltaire's play, Mariamne, based on a design by Charles Eisen.

This etching and engraving by Dominique Sornique depicts a scene from the play Mariamne, written by the French philosopher and author Voltaire. The print is based on an original design by Charles Eisen, whose signature appears in the lower left corner as 'C. Eisen inv.', while Sornique is credited as the engraver in the lower right. The work reflects the aesthetic conventions of mid-eighteenth-century French book illustration, where theatre and literature were frequently interpreted through highly structured, dramatic compositions.

The scene captures a moment of tension within an architectural setting defined by classical columns and heavy drapery. The figures are rendered with the precise, fine line work characteristic of the period, prioritising clarity of form and theatrical gesture. The central figure, dressed in period-appropriate attire that blends historical allusion with contemporary eighteenth-century fashion, commands the space. The surrounding figures are arranged to guide the viewer's eye across the stage-like environment, creating a sense of depth and narrative urgency. The use of light and shadow, achieved through varied hatching techniques, provides volume to the figures and texture to the stone and fabric elements.

Sornique was a skilled practitioner of the burin, and his collaboration with Eisen was common for editions of Voltaire's works during this era. The print serves as a visual accompaniment to the text, intended to provide the reader with a concrete image of the play's dramatic climax. The composition remains balanced, adhering to the formal requirements of the Rococo period while leaning into the more rigid, ordered structures that would eventually lead to the Neoclassical style. The paper shows signs of its age, with the plate mark clearly visible, preserving the physical history of the printing process.