Jean Duvet as Saint John the Evangelist
1555
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 29.6 × 21 cm (11 5/8 × 8 1/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1946.21.280
Art Historical Context
In the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection, *Jean Duvet as Saint John the Evangelist (1555) stands as a striking self-portrait by the French engraver Jean Duvet (c. 1485–c. 1565). Rendered as an engraving on laid paper measuring 29.6 × 21 cm, this intimate print captures Duvet in the guise of the beloved disciple, gazing intently with a book in hand—symbolizing Evangelist’s role as author of the Gospel of John the Book of Revelation. Such a bold self-identification reflects the Renaissance artist's deep religious devotion and his ambition to align his legacy with sacred tradition. ...
About the Artist
Jean Duvet · 1485–1570
Jean Duvet (1485–after 1562), a pioneering French goldsmith and engraver from the provincial heartlands of Dijon and Langres, emerged as the first significant printmaker in France. Born to a Dijon goldsmith, he trained in the family trade and rose swiftly, becoming master of the Dijon Goldsmiths' Guild by 1509. Duvet's early career blended goldsmithing with engraving; no specific teachers are docu...