Allegorial Composition with the Coat of Arms of Cardinal Richelieu and Charity
17th century
Medium
Engraving; second state of two (Le Blanc)
Dimensions
Sheet: 15 15/16 in. × 20 in. (40.5 × 50.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.4290
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the opulent world of 17th-century France, Grégoire Huret's *Allegorical Composition with the Coat of Arms of Richelieu and Charity stands as a masterful engraving celebrating one of history's most powerful churchmen. Created during the Baroque era, this print from the second state of twoas cataloged by Le Blanc) the prominent coat of arms of Armand-Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieuchief minister to Louis XIII and a shrewd architect of French absolutism. Surrounding it are allegorical female figures embodying Charity, a core Christian virtue symbolizing generosity and divine love, rendered...
About the Artist
Grégoire Huret · 1606–1670
French draftsman and printmaker. Comment on works: Engraver & draftsman