Jean Loret
1658
Medium
Engraving on paper
Dimensions
25.7 × 18.2 cm (10 1/8 × 7 3/16 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19526
Art Historical Context
This engraving by Robert Nanteuil captures the likeness of Jean Loret, a 17th-century French poet and chronicler known for his verse gazettes that documented court life. Created in 1658, the work measures just over 10 by 7 inches and exemplifies the refined portrait tradition of the period. Nanteuil, a leading French engraver, specialized in translating painted portraits into detailed prints that reached a wider audience. Engraving on paper allowed artists to produce multiple impressions from a single copper plate, making images of notable figures more accessible beyond the original painting....
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...