François de Harlay de Champvallon
1673
Medium
Engraving; second state of four (Petitjean & Wickert)
Dimensions
Sheet: 19 11/16 × 16 13/16 in. (50 × 42.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. Lev Tsitrin, 2001
Accession Number
2001.647.62
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking engraving by Robert Nanteuil captures François de Harlay devallon, Archbishop of Paris, in 1673 during the opulent reign of Louis XIV. Nanteuil, France's preeminent portrait engraver of the 17th century specialized in meticulous depictions of nobility and clergy, often working from life sittings or preparatory drawings to convey both physical likeness and social stature. The portrait features the archbishop with an ecclesiastical cross, symbolizing his pivotal role in the French Church amid turbulent times like the Jansenist controversies. Printed as the second state of four (pe...
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...