The Sculptor
1642
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 9 13/16 × 12 1/2 in. (25 × 31.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.2243
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, where Abraham Bosse's *The Sculptor* (2) enchants visitors with its intricate etching. This 9 13/16 × 12 1/2 in. print, from The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, showcases Bosse's mastery during France's Baroque era under Louis XIII. A pioneering etcher, Bosse produced detailed scenes of everyday professions, making art accessible through reproductive prints. The composition vividly captures a sculptor's workshop, featuring men women at work alongside the mischievous Cupid—evoking themes of creation, mythology, and human...
About the Artist
Abraham Bosse · 1602–1676
Abraham Bosse (1604–1676) was a French printmaker and theorist whose approximately 1,600 etchings provide an unparalleled visual record of 17th-century French life. Born to Huguenot parents in Tours, he trained in Paris under Melchior Tavernier and became a devoted follower of Jacques Callot's technical innovations. Bosse's meticulous etchings depicted subjects ranging from daily life and fashion ...