Simon Arnauld, Le Marquis de Pomponne
1675
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.6563
Art Historical Context
In the opulent era of Louis XIV, Robert Nanteuil's 1675 engraving *Simon Arnauld, Le Marquis de Pomponne* captures the refined likeness of one of France's foremost diplomats. Nanteuil (1623–1678), a master engraver of the French Baroque, specialized in portraits that brought the nobility to life with astonishing precision. This work, housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection (Department CG-E), exemplifies his skill in immortalizing the Sun King's court elite. Simon Arnauld, Marquis de Pomponne (1610–1694), served as Foreign Minister, navigating intricate European alliances ...
About the Artist
Robert Nanteuil · 1623–1678
Robert Nanteuil (1623-1678) was a French portrait engraver, draughtsman, and pastellist who became the preeminent portraitist to the court of Louis XIV. His technical mastery and royal patronage fundamentally transformed the status of engraving in France, elevating it from a mechanical craft to a recognized fine art. Nanteuil stands as the outstanding French portrait engraver of the seventeenth c...