Sculpture Bust of a Child, to the right
mid-17th century
Medium
Mezzotint; second state of two
Dimensions
plate: 6 3/16 x 5 7/16 in. (15.7 x 13.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1956
Accession Number
56.605.5
Art Historical Context
This charming mezzotint print,Sculpture Bust a Child, to the*, captures the delicate features of a child's bust sculpted by the renowned Flemish Baroque artist François Du Quesnoy (7–1646). Du Quesnoy, a master of expressive portraiture, was celebrated for his lifelike depictions of children, blending classical idealism with tender realism during the mid-17th century—a time when Baroque art emphasized emotion and movement across Europe. The print was executed by Wallerant Vaillant (1623–1677), a Dutch innovator who helped pioneer mezzotint, a revolutionary technique invented around 1640. Unli...
About the Artist
Wallerant Vaillant|François Du Quesnoy · 1623–1677
Wallerant Vaillant (1623-1677) was a French-born Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker who pioneered the mezzotint technique in printmaking. Born in Lille on May 30, 1623, he died in Amsterdam on August 28, 1677, leaving behind a significant legacy as both a portraitist and innovator in graphic arts. Vaillant holds a distinguished place in art history as one of the first professional artists to...