Narcissus

Art Historical Context

Laurent de La Hyre's *Narcissus*, a delicate 17th-century etching captures the timeless Greek myth of the youth entranced by his own reflection Measuring just 2 15/16 x 4 1/2 inches, this intimate print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's and Prints department invites close contemplation. La Hyre, a prominent French artist of the Baroque era with Classicist leanings, often depicted mythological themes with refined elegance, blending narrative grace and emotional depth. Etching, the medium here, was a revolutionary printmaking technique in the 1600s, where acid etches intricate lines into a metal plate for precise, expressive detail. La Hyre's mastery shines in the subtle textures and poised figures—men accompanied by dogs, evoking a hunt or pastoral scene tied to Narcissus's fateful vanity. Acquired in 1956 through The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, this work exemplifies how prints democratized art, allowing wider access to elite subjects. Its cultural resonance lies in exploring self-absorption, a motif enduring from antiquity to today, while La Hyre's style bridged Rubens's dynamism and Poussin's restraint, influencing French academic art. A gem for print enthusiasts, it rewards patient viewing.

About the Artist

Laurent de La Hyre · 1606–1656

Laurent de La Hyre (1606–1656) was a French painter whose elegant, classical compositions placed him among the finest artists of the first generation of French Baroque painters working in Paris. Born into an artistic family — his father Étienne de La Hyre was also a painter — Laurent received his early training largely through independent study rather than formal apprenticeship under a single domi...