Tail-piece: Two Winged Women Hold a Cartel Decorated by Fame
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
sheet: 3 7/8 x 5 1/16 in. (9.9 x 12.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.601.239
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant etching by Claude Mellan functions as a tail-piece, a decorative print traditionally placed at the end of a book chapter or section. The composition centers on two winged female figures supporting a cartel—an ornamental scroll or cartouche—emblazoned the allegorical figure of Fame. Subtle references to flutes in the design suggest musical celebration, evoking themes of renown and artistic harmony within a compact format. Measuring just under four by five inches, the work demonstrates the precision possible in etching, a medium valued for its ability to capture fine lines and intr...
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...