Henri II de Lorraine, marquis de Mouy
ca. 1651
Medium
Engraving; first state of three (Petitjean & Wickert)
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 7/16 × 10 1/2 in. (34.2 × 26.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Orme Wilson, 1963
Accession Number
63.533.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 17th French portraiture with Robert Nanteuil's engravingHenri II de Lorraine,quis de Mouy* (ca. 1651). Nanteuil, one of the finest engravers of his era and an official artist to King Louis XIV, masterfully captures the noble bearing of Henri II de Lorraine a prominent member of the illustrious House of Lorraine. As marquis de Moy, this sitter was a seasoned military figure and courtier during France's grand siècle, a time when aristocratic portraits symbolized power, lineage, and loyalty to the Sun King. This rare first state of three—before later refinements—sh...
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...