François de Beauvillier
in or before 1656
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 15.7 x 10.5 cm (6 3/16 x 4 1/8 in.) sheet: 16.4 x 11 cm (6 7/16 x 4 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of John O'Brien
Accession Number
1991.164.76
Art Historical Context
This elegant engraving by Michel Lasne presents a portrait of François de Beauvillier, a French nobleman, created in or before 1656. As a print on laid paper, it exemplifies the refined technique of engraving, where fine lines are carefully incised into a metal plate to produce detailed and reproducible images. Measuring just over six inches in height, the work captures the formal dignity of its subject through precise linework and subtle tonal contrasts typical of seventeenth-century French portraiture. Michel Lasne, a skilled engraver active during the Baroque period, specialized in such po...
About the Artist
Michel Lasne · 1590–1667
Michel Lasne (ca. 1590–1667) was a French engraver, draughtsman, and collector who became one of the most prolific printmakers of the French Baroque period. Born in Caen around 1590, Lasne was the son of a goldsmith, which provided him with early exposure to metalworking techniques essential for engraving. His career spanned the reigns of Louis XIII and the early years of Louis XIV, during which h...