Scene 25: Fatally wounded, King Henry III informs the Blessed Abbot of his condition and recommends himself to his prayers
Medium
Red chalk, pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, heightened with white, over graphite
Dimensions
Sheet: 21 1/8 × 17 1/2 in. (53.6 × 44.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harry G. Sperling Fund, 1992
Accession Number
1992.246.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this poignant drawing from 1706–07, French artist Matthieu Elias captures "Scene 25: Fatally wounded, King Henry III informs the Blessed Abbot of his condition and recommends himself to his prayers." Created with masterful mixed media—red chalk, pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, heightened with white over graphite—the large sheet (21 1/8 × 17 1/2 in.) showcases the intricate techniques of early 18th-century draftsmanship. These methods allowed Elias to achieve dramatic depth, subtle tonal gradations, and luminous highlights, evoking the emotional intensity of a historical moment. Th...
About the Artist
Matthieu Elias|Reverend Jean de la Barrière|Henry III, King of France (French|French) · 1658 |1544 –1741 |1600
French, Peene 1658–1741 Dunkerque|French, Saint-Céré 1544–1600 Rome