Pope Pius VII on the Saône

Art Historical Context

In 1805, French printmaker Jean-Jacques de Boieu captured a momentous papal visit in *Pope Pius VII on the Sa*, an etching with drypoint from the third and final state of three. This evocative print depicts Pope Pius VII a boat gliding along the Saône River in Lyon, France, by attendants amid a grand procession. The scene reflects the Pope's journey through France that year, en route to Paris for Napoleon Bonaparte's coronation as emperor—a pivotal moment blending religious authority and rising secular power. Boissieu, a master of 18th- and early 19th-century printmaking, excelled in etching and drypoint techniques, which allowed for intricate lines and a soft, velvety texture from the drypoint burr. The third state likely features refined details and richer tonal depth, enhancing the atmospheric river setting with its boats, water, and distant architecture. Printed on a generous sheet (12 3/16 × 16 3/4 in.), it showcases his skill in landscape and historical subjects. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, 1924), this work offers a window into early 19th-century Franco-papal relations and the artistry of intaglio printing, inviting visitors to ponder the interplay of faith, politics, and the flowing Saône.

About the Artist

Jean Jacques de Boissieu · 1736–1810

French, Lyons 1736–1810 Lyons