The King of Rome
Medium
Etching and stipple engraving on chine collé
Dimensions
Image: 7 15/16 × 6 7/16 in. (20.1 × 16.3 cm) Plate: 8 1/16 × 6 1/2 in. (20.5 × 16.5 cm) Sheet: 8 15/16 × 7 5/16 in. (22.7 × 18.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of James David Draper, 2019
Accession Number
2021.15.20
Art Historical Context
Created around 1811, “The King of” commemorates the birth of Napoleon’s only legitimate son, who was given the title King of Rome at his christening. The print captures the optimism of the Napoleonic court at its height, when the arrival of an heir seemed to promise dynastic stability for the new empire. Pierre-Paul Prud’hon, a favorite artist of both Napoleon and Josephine, supplied the tender, softly modeled design; engraver Roger Barthélemy translated it into etching and stipple, techniques prized for their delicate tonal gradations and ability to suggest the velvety textures of infancy. T...
About the Artist
Roger Barthélemy|Pierre Paul Prud'hon (French|French) · 1770 |1758 –1841 |1823
French, 1770–1841|French, Cluny 1758–1823 Paris