Portrait of Colbert
Medium
Etching and engraving; third state of three (Bocher)
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 5/8 × 7 3/16 in. (27 × 18.3 cm) Plate: 8 9/16 × 5 13/16 in. (21.7 × 14.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.756–1301
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This etching and engraving by Augustin de Saint-Aubin captures Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the influential French statesman who served as finance minister to Louis XIV. Created in 1800, long after Colbert’s death in 1683, the portrait reflects the enduring fascination with his legacy as a key architect of French economic policy and royal administration. Saint-Aubin, known for his refined printmaking, produced this work as the third and final state, indicating careful revisions to achieve the desired clarity and detail. The medium of etching and engraving allowed for precise line work and tonal depth, making it ideal for reproducing portraits that could reach wide audiences through prints. Measuring just over 8 by 5 inches on the plate, the intimate scale invites close viewing of Colbert’s composed expression and period attire, highlighting the technical skill involved in combining etched lines with engraved details for texture and shading. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of drawings and prints, this piece exemplifies how 18th- and early 19th-century artists used reproductive techniques to preserve and circulate images of historical figures, bridging fine art with public memory.
About the Artist
Augustin de Saint-Aubin · 1736–1807
Comment on works: Illustrator; Engraver