Jean George Wille
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 21 x 15.3 cm (8 1/4 x 6 in.) sheet: 26.2 x 19.1 cm (10 5/16 x 7 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of John O'Brien
Accession Number
1990.56.8
Art Historical Context
This 1771 engraving captures Jean-Georges Wille, the renowned German-born French engraver whose precise technique and international reputation made him a central figure in 18th-century printmaking. Created by Pierre-Charles Ingouf after a design by Pierre-Alexandre Wille—Jean-Georges’s own son—the print exemplifies the era’s tradition of reproductive portraiture, in which family members and fellow artists collaborated to preserve the likenesses of celebrated figures. Executed on laid paper, the engraving demonstrates the meticulous line work and tonal subtlety characteristic of the medium. Pr...