François Blanchart
1673
Medium
Engraving; second state of three (Petitjean & Wickert)
Dimensions
Sheet: 15 1/4 × 12 5/16 in. (38.7 × 31.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Lev Tsitrin, 2000
Accession Number
2000.416.71
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *François Blanchart* (1673), a masterful by Robert Nanteuil, one of the finest portrait engravers of 17-century France. This second state of threecataloged by Petitjean and Wick—depicts a dignified subject, likely a figure of note given the cross motif, evoking themes of faith or authority amid the grandeur of Louis XIV's reign Nanteuil's portraits captured the essence of the elite, blending realism with elegance to immortalize intellectuals, clergy, and cour. Engraving allowed precise, reproducible detail, making Nanteuil works highly sought after. Here, the intricate convey texture i...
About the Artist
Robert Nanteuil · 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...