Staande engel met stapel boeken
1608 - 1688
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
125; 93
About this artwork
collector's mark: Lugt 240
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate engraving *Staande engel metel boeken* (Standing Angel with Stack of) by Claude Mellan, masterful French artist active from around 1608 to 1688. This intimate work, measuring just 125 mm high by 93 mm wide, a serene standing angel cradling a stack of books—a poignant symbol of divine wisdom and sacred knowledge. Mellan's Baroque sensibility shines through in the graceful pose and ethereal presence, evoking the religious iconography popular in 17th-century Europe. As a pioneering engraver, Mellan excelled in the intaglio technique, meticulously incising fine lines into a co...
About the Artist
Claude Mellan · 1598–1688
Claude Mellan (1598-1688) was a French draughtsman, engraver, and painter who became one of the most innovative printmakers of the French Baroque period. Born in Abbeville to a family of coppersmiths, Mellan rose to become Peintre et Graveur Ordinaire du Roi (Painter and Engraver in Ordinary to the King), achieving recognition for his extraordinary technical mastery. Mellan's artistic significanc...