Nicolas Parfait
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1974.116.28
Art Historical Context
Discover the elegant portrait *Nicolas Parfait*, an engraving created in 1666 by the French engraver Nicolas deilly after an original painting by Claude Lef. This work captures the refined spirit of 17th-century during the lavish reign of Louis XIV, when portraiture flourished to celebrate the elite and nobility. Lefebvre, a prominent Baroque painter known for his lifelike depictions of courtiers, provided the source image, which Poilly masterfully translated into print form. Engravings like this one were revolutionary for their time, using a burin to incise fine lines into a metal plate, all...