Chevalier d'Eon

Art Historical Context

Behold the striking *Chevalier d'Eon* (1771), a mezzotint portrait now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Drawings and Prints. Created by engravers John Wesson and Thomas Burke possibly after designs by Jacques Gabriel Huquier this print captures Charles Geneviève Louise Auguste Timothée d'É de Beaumont—a enigmatic 18th-century French figure renowned as a diplomat, soldier, spy. Measuring 13 15/16 × 9 13/16 inches, it exemplifies the intimate scale of fine prints designed for collectors. The Chevalier d'Eon captivated Europe with their fluid gender presentation, living publicly as a woman from the 1770s onward amid scandals and wagers about their true sex. This 1771 image, made just as rumors swirled, reflects the era's fascination with identity and celebrity, blending aristocratic elegance with intrigue during the Enlightenment. Mezzotint, a "black manner" technique, shines here: artists rocked a copper plate to create a velvety field of tone, then scraped highlights for luminous depth—ideal for dramatic portraits. Acquired via the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1924, this work highlights printmaking's role in disseminating fame, inviting us to ponder d'Eon's enduring legacy of defying norms.

About the Artist

John Wesson|Thomas Burke|Jacques Gabriel Huquier|Charles Geneviève Louise Auguste André Timothée d'Eon de Beaumont (British|Irish|French|French) · 1768 |1749 |1730 |1728 –1773 |1815 |1805 |1810

British, active 1768–73|Irish, Dublin 1749–1815 London|French, Paris 1730–1805 Shrewsbury|French, Tonnerre, 1728–1810