Satyr Mask with Curled Horns, Leafy Eyebrows and a Cloth Hanging Beneath the Chin, from Divers Masques
ca. 1635–45
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 5/8 × 1 5/8 in. (6.6 × 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
45.101.50
Tags
About this artwork
This etching by François Chauveau from the 'Divers Masques' series (circa 1635-45) depicts an elaborate satyr mask with curled horns, leafy eyebrows, and a cloth hanging beneath the chin—fantastical designs that influenced French decorative arts during the Baroque period. Chauveau, one of France's most prolific illustrators and ornament designers, created countless prints that disseminated design vocabularies for artisans working in various media. The 'Divers Masques' series provided source mate...
Art Historical Context
Behold the whimsical *Satyr Mask with Curled Horns, Leafy Eyebrows and a Cloth Hanging Beneath the Chin*, an etching from François Chauveau's * Masques* series, created around 1635–45 in collaboration with Jacques Van Mer. This tiny print (just 2⅝ × 1⅝ inches) captures a fantastical grotesque: a satyr's face blending human mischief, curling animal horns, leafy brows evoking wild foliage, and a dangling chin cloth. Chauveau, France's prolific ornament designer, crafted such images to fuel the Baroque era's love for exuberant decoration. These masks drew from Renaissance grotesque traditions, m...
About the Artist
François Chauveau|Jacques Van Merlen · 1613–1676
Comment on works: Miniature painter; History; Genre; Portraits