François La Rochefoucauld
1551 to 1600
Medium
engraving on laid paper; laid down
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed within plate mark): 4.3 x 4.5 cm (1 11/16 x 1 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of John O'Brien
Accession Number
1991.164.68
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This delicate engraving, titled *François La Rochefoucauld captures the likeness of the French nobleman (15511600) through the skilled hand of Michel Lasne, prominent engraver of the late Renaissance period. Produced between the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the print exemplifies the era's fascination with portraiture, where influential figures like La Rochefoucauld—a statesman and courtier—were immortalized to convey status and legacy. Its diminutive size, just 4.3 x 4.5 cm, reflects the intimate scale of period prints, often collected in albums or bound into books for private study. C...
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...