Portrait of Louis XIV
1712
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 68.4 × 51.3 cm (26 15/16 × 20 1/4 in.); Plate: 68.8 × 51.7 cm (27 1/8 × 20 3/8 in.); Sheet: 70.2 × 53 cm (27 11/16 × 20 7/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
51333
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Pierre Drevet belonged to a prominent family of portrait engravers in France, which afforded him the opportunity to portray many distinguished individuals. In Portrait of Louis XIV, Drevet captured the rich textures and materials in Hyacinthe Rigaud’s painting with supreme delicacy and precision. Drevet’s engraving exudes warmth: from the graceful play of light off the velvets and furs, to the heaviness of the fleur-de-lis embroidered drapery. The variety of tones and materials depicted produces...