The Moon in its First Quarter
1635
Medium
Engraving; first state of two (BN)
Dimensions
Plate: 9 3/16 × 6 7/8 in. (23.3 × 17.5 cm) Sheet: 9 3/8 × 7 1/8 in. (23.8 × 18.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1960
Accession Number
60.634.38
Tags
Art Historical Context
Claude Mellan's *The Moon in its First Quarter* (1635) captures the luminous allure of our celestial neighbor during its waxing phase, rendered with exquisite precision in engraving. A master French printmaker active in 17th-century Rome and, Mellan was renowned for his virtuosic line work, often achieving astonishing depth and texture through intricate burin techniques. This first-state impression, from the plate measuring about 9 x 7 inches, showcases the moon's cratered surface as observed through an early telescope, blending artistic mastery with emerging scientific curiosity. Created ami...
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...