Portrait of Queen Marie-Antoinette in an ornamental frame
late 18th century
Medium
Pen and black ink, gray wash, heightened with white gouache, over graphite, incised contour lines; verso reddened with chalk for transfer
Dimensions
sheet: 8 7/8 x 6 3/16 in. (22.5 x 15.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2012
Accession Number
2012.51
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, *Portrait of Queen Marie-Ant in an Ornamental Frame* by Johann Esaias Nil, captures the elegance of late 18th-century European royalty. Created around the time of the French Revolution, it depicts the infamous queen, whose lavish lifestyle became a symbol of the ancien régime. Nilson, a German draftsman and engraver known for his intricate ornamental designs, frames her poised likeness within a lavish, scrolling border, blending portraiture with decorative flair typical of Rococo influences transitioning to Neoclassicism. Executed in pen and black ink with gray wash, he...
About the Artist
Johann Esaias Nilson · 1721–1788
Comment on works: miniature