Le roman dangereux

Isidore-Stanislas Helman after Nicolas Lavreince

National Gallery of Art

This print shows a woman lying on a bed with a man leaning over a chair beside her. The woman is in the center of the print, with her head towards the left and her feet towards the bottom right corner. She is dressed in a gown with a low neckline, lying on her back with her head on a pillow and her arm bent by her head. Her eyes are closed. She has light skin and her hair is in an elaborate updo. The wide skirts of her dress are spread out across the bed, and one of her feet rests on a cushioned footrest. The man is to the right, leaning over a cushioned chair towards the sleeping woman's face. He has light skin and curled white hair, and he wears a long coat with ruffles at the cuffs and neckline. He is looking towards her and has one finger raised to his lips. The room is ornately decorated with heavy curtains above the bed, large decorative urns, and a high circular ceiling.