A Man Holding a Crop
Medium
Etching; reverse copy
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 5 5/16 × 3 3/4 in. (13.5 × 9.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.1576
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intimate portrait *A Man Holding a Crop an anonymous French artist captures a poised gentleman gripping what appears to be a riding, evoking the elegance of 17th-century nobility. Created in 1629 as an and reverse copy—likely a mirrored reproduction for print transfer—this small work (trimmed to just 5 5/16 × 3 3/4 inches) exemplifies the rising popularity of printmaking in France during the Baroque era. Attributions have varied, linking it to influential etcher Abraham Bosse, a master of precise line work and reproductive prints, or Jean de Saint-Igny, hinting at collaborative or works...