Henriette-Marie de Buade-Frontenac
1641
Medium
Engraving; second state of four
Dimensions
sheet: 13 7/8 x 9 9/16 in. (35.3 x 24.3 cm) plate: 13 7/16 x 9 1/16 in. (34.2 x 23 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.57.22
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of 17th-century France, Mellan captures the poised elegance of Henriette-Marie Buade-Frontenac in this exquisite 1641 engraving, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints. Mellan, a master engraver renowned for his line work and innovative techniques—like his famous single-line portraits—produced this portrait in the second state of four, early version before later revisions added details or corrections. Measuring about 13 7/8 by 9 9/16 inches, the sheet preserves the delicate precision of copperplate engraving, a medium that allowed for widespread disseminati...
About the Artist
Claude Mellan · 1598–1688
Claude Mellan (1598-1688) was a French draughtsman, engraver, and painter who became one of the most innovative printmakers of the French Baroque period. Born in Abbeville to a family of coppersmiths, Mellan rose to become Peintre et Graveur Ordinaire du Roi (Painter and Engraver in Ordinary to the King), achieving recognition for his extraordinary technical mastery. Mellan's artistic significanc...