Allegories in Honor of the Birth of the Dauphin
ca. 1638
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 14 1/8 x 3 7/8 in. (35.8 x 9.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.845
Tags
Art Historical Context
Abraham Bosse's *Allegories in Honor of Birth of the Dauphin an etching from around 1638, captures the exuberant celebration of a pivotal moment in French history: the birth of Louis XIV, future Sun King, to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria The Dauphin, heir to the throne, inspired widespread festivities, and Bosse—a leading French printmaker known for his precise reproductive etchings and technical treatises—crafted this work to honor the event. Its long, narrow format (14 1/8 x 3 7/8 inches) evokes a festive banner or frieze, ideal for dissemination among the nobility and public. The composit...
About the Artist
Abraham Bosse · 1602–1676
Abraham Bosse (1604–1676) was a French printmaker and theorist whose approximately 1,600 etchings provide an unparalleled visual record of 17th-century French life. Born to Huguenot parents in Tours, he trained in Paris under Melchior Tavernier and became a devoted follower of Jacques Callot's technical innovations. Bosse's meticulous etchings depicted subjects ranging from daily life and fashion ...