Saint Louis presenting his sword to Christ, after a ceiling design
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 17 1/2 × 12 15/16 in. (44.5 × 32.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1962
Accession Number
62.635.765
Art Historical Context
This striking etching and engraving captures a moment of profound devotion, showing Saint Louis—King Louis IX of France—kneeling to offer his sword to Christ. Created between 1755 and 1790 by Jean Charles Delafosse and Charles Nicolas Cochin II, the print reproduces a ceiling design, translating an architectural composition meant to be viewed from below into a portable format. The collaborative effort highlights the 18th-century practice of disseminating grand decorative schemes through printmaking, allowing wider audiences to appreciate ambitious artistic visions originally intended for churc...
About the Artist
Jean Charles Delafosse|Charles Nicolas Cochin II · 1734–1789
French architect. Comment on works: architect; copper engraver Comment on works: Architect; Draughtsman; Ornamentist; Engraver