Satyr Mask with a Spiral-Shaped Beard and Ivy Grouped Around Each Horn, from Divers Masques
ca. 1635–45
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 1/2 × 1 5/8 in. (6.3 × 4.2 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1945
Accession Number
45.101.52
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the whimsical *Satyr Mask with a Spiral-Shaped Beard and Ivy Grouped Around Each Horn*, a delicate etching from the series *Divers Masques*Various Masks), created around 1635–45 by French engravers François Chauveau and Jacques Van Merlen. Measuring just 2½ × 1⅝ inches, this tiny print packs a punch of intricate detail, showcasing the precision of 17th-century etching techniques. Etching, where acid bites into a metal plate to create fine lines, allowed artists like Chauveau—known for his illustrations of classical themes—to produce multiples of ornamental designs with remarkable clarit...
About the Artist
François Chauveau|Jacques Van Merlen · 1613–1676
Comment on works: Miniature painter; History; Genre; Portraits