A striking 1800 etching by David Pièrre Giottino Humbert de Superville, featuring a female figure framed by a radiating halo.

This etching by David Pièrre Giottino Humbert de Superville, titled Vrouw in stralenkrans, dates to the year 1800. The artist, a Dutch painter and printmaker, produced this work during his time in France, as indicated by the inscription 'an VIII' on the plate, which refers to the eighth year of the French Republican Calendar. The composition features a central female figure standing in a frontal pose, her hands clasped at her waist. She wears a simple, high-waisted gown typical of the period. A distinct halo of radiating lines emanates from behind her head, suggesting a symbolic or allegorical quality rather than a purely secular portrait. The background is divided by a horizontal line, with the lower portion rendered in a cross-hatched pattern that provides a grounded texture beneath the figure. The artist employs a linear approach, using varying densities of hatching to define form and shadow. The figure is rendered with a degree of stylisation, prioritising clarity of outline over anatomical realism. The radiating lines behind the subject create a sense of luminosity, drawing the eye toward the centre of the composition. Humbert de Superville was known for his interest in the psychology of art and the expressive potential of lines, a theme that appears in his later theoretical writings. This print reflects the aesthetic sensibilities of the late eighteenth century, combining classical restraint with a symbolic visual language. The work is a clear example of the artist's technical proficiency in etching, demonstrating his ability to convey depth and atmosphere through monochromatic mark-making. It remains a representative piece of his early graphic output, capturing the intersection of Neoclassical form and personal symbolic exploration.