Henry III of France
1551 to 1600
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 36.4 × 25.1 cm (14 5/16 × 9 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1950.14.619
Art Historical Context
This striking engraving by Hieronymus Wierix captures Henry III of France, the last monarch of the Valois dynasty, who ruled from 1574 to 1589. Created between 1551 and 1600, the print measures 36.4 by 25.1 centimeters and exemplifies the era’s growing use of reproducible media to disseminate royal images across Europe. Wierix, a Flemish engraver active in Antwerp, specialized in precise line work that brought both grandeur and intimacy to his subjects. Engravings like this one played a vital cultural role in the late Renaissance, allowing portraits of powerful figures to reach wider audience...
About the Artist
Hieronymus Wierix
Flemish draftsman and copper engraver from Antwerp. He was the son of Anton Wierix I, and the brother of Johan Wierix and Anton Wierix II. His style is very similar to that of his brother, Johan, and their works are often confused, exacerbated by the fact that they signed their plates with similar initials: Hieronymus often signed HI.W. or HI.W.F. Comment on works: Draftsman; Engraver