Christine, reine de Suède

Art Historical Context

Behold the regal portrait *Christine, reine de Suède (1654), an exquisite engraving capturing Queen Christina of Sweden at a transformative moment in her life. Created through the masterful collaboration of French painter Sébastien Bourdon, known for his Baroque flair and dramatic compositions, and engraver Robert Nanteuil a leading portraitist of the 17th century, this work immortalizes the queen just as she abdicated her throne. Christina (1626–1689), a brilliant intellectual and patron of the arts, renounced Protestantism for Catholicism that year, embarking on a nomadic life across Europe that made her one of history's most enigmatic monarchs. This third state of three, as cataloged by Petitjean & Wickert, exemplifies the precision of 17th-century French engraving—a labor-intensive intaglio technique where intricate lines are incised into a copper plate, inked, and pressed onto paper. Measuring 9 15/16 x 7 9/16 inches, its fine details convey Christina's poised elegance and intellectual intensity, reflecting the era's fascination with royal portraiture as political propaganda and personal legacy. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Mr. Lev Tsitrin, 2001), this print offers visitors a window into Baroque portrait traditions and the cultural crossroads of European courts.

About the Artist

Robert Nanteuil|Sébastien Bourdon · 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...