Carondelet
n.d.
Medium
Mezzotint on ivory paper
Dimensions
Plate: 29.7 × 21.6 cm (11 3/4 × 8 9/16 in.); Sheet: 30.8 × 22.6 cm (12 3/16 × 8 15/16 in.)
Classification
mezzotint
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
41058
Art Historical Context
Visitors to the Art Institute of's Prints and Drawings department find *Carondelet*, a striking mezzotint by Jan van Somer, a example of 17th-century printmaking innovation. Created on ivory paper with plate dimensions of 29.7 × 21.6 cm, this undated work showcases van Somer's mastery as a Dutch engraver active in Amsterdam during the late Baroque era. While specific details about the subject remain elusive, the title likely references a portrait of historical significance, evoking the portraiture popular among Europe's elite at the time. Mezzotint, the technique employed here, revolutionized...