François Marie Arouet de Voltaire
Medium
etching and engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 19.6 x 13.7 cm (7 11/16 x 5 3/8 in.) sheet: 20.2 x 14.3 cm (7 15/16 x 5 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of John O'Brien
Accession Number
1987.70.17
Art Historical Context
This striking print captures the likeness of François-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire, one the Enlightenment’s most influential writers and. Created before 177 by Augustin de Saint-Aubin after a design by sculptor Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, the work presents Voltaire in a dignified bust-length portrait that emphasizes his intellect and expressive features. As a reproductive print, it allowed Voltaire’s image to circulate widely among admirers across Europe at a time when his ideas on reason, tolerance, and social reform were reshaping intellectual life. Saint-Aubin employed etching and engraving ...