Chanceliere Pierre Séguier

Art Historical Context

Step into the grandeur of 17th-century with *Chanceliere Pierre Ségu*, a masterful engraving created in 1657 by the acclaimed portrait engraver Robert Nanteuil after a design by Charles Le Brun the leading painter of Louis XIV's court. This first state of four—before later alterations—captures Chancellor Pierre Séguier a pivotal figure who served under both Louis XIII and the young Sun King, wielding immense influence over French law and governance during turbulent times of the Fronde rebellions. Nanteuil's engraving technique shines here, with intricate line work rendering Ségu's stoic features, elaborate robes, and chain of office in exquisite detail on a 13⅛ × 10-inch plate. As a print, it democratized elite portraiture, allowing reproductions to circulate widely among Europe's nobility and scholars. Le Brun's Baroque influence infuses the composition with dramatic poise and regal authority, emblematic of absolutist France. Acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1920, this Metropolitan Museum treasure exemplifies the golden age of French printmaking, blending technical precision with historical gravitas. Visitors, admire how it freezes a moment of power amid the opulence of Versailles' rise.

About the Artist

Robert Nanteuil|Charles Le Brun · 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...