Henri de Pussort
1675
Medium
Engraving on paper
Dimensions
Plate: 53.8 × 44.7 cm (21 3/16 × 17 5/8 in.); Sheet: 55.1 × 46.3 cm (21 3/4 × 18 1/4 in.)
Classification
mezzotint
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
144376
Art Historical Context
Behold *Henri de Pussort*, a striking 1675 mezzotint by French artist Antoine Masson, now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings department. Measuring an impressive 53.8 × 44.7 cm on the, this work captures the likeness of Henri de Puss, a prominent sculptor of Louis XIV's era, known for his contributions to royal commissions like those at Versailles. Masson's portrait reflects the grandeur of the French Baroque period, where art glorified the Sun King's court. Mezzotint, the innovative "black manner" technique Masson employs here, revolutionized printmaking in the late 17th...