Anne of Austria
Medium
Engraving; third or fourth state of six (Petitjean & Wickert)
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 5/8 × 9 1/2 in. (32 × 24.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Louise Bechtel, 1958
Accession Number
58.580.11
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite engraving, *Anne of Austria* (1660), captures the poised elegance of the Spanish-born queen consort of France and regent during her son Louis XIV's minority. Created through a collaboration between painter Pierre Mignard, who likely provided the original portrait design, and master engraver Robert Nanteuil, it exemplifies the refined Baroque portraiture of Louis XIV's early reign. Anne, depicted with regal bearing and a prominent coat of arms, symbolizes the Bourbon monarchy's power and continuity at a pivotal moment, just as the young king assumed full rule. Nanteuil's engravi...
About the Artist
Robert Nanteuil|Pierre Mignard · 1623–1678
Robert Nanteuil (1623-1678) was a French portrait engraver, draughtsman, and pastellist who became the preeminent portraitist to the court of Louis XIV. His technical mastery and royal patronage fundamentally transformed the status of engraving in France, elevating it from a mechanical craft to a recognized fine art. Nanteuil stands as the outstanding French portrait engraver of the seventeenth c...