Who created "The Three Graces"?

The Three Graces was created by Claude Mellan in 1659.

What medium is "The Three Graces"?

The Three Graces is Engraving; first state of four (BN).

Is "The Three Graces" in the public domain?

Yes, The Three Graces is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

The Three Graces

Claude Mellan

1659

Medium

Engraving; first state of four (BN)

Dimensions

sheet: 8 5/16 x 5 7/16 in. (21.1 x 13.8 cm) plate: 8 1/16 x 5 3/16 in. (20.5 x 13.1 cm)

Classification

Prints

Department

Drawings and Prints

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917

Accession Number

17.3.2032

Tags

Female Nudes

Art Historical Context

Claude Mellan's *The Three Graces*1659) is a exquisite engraving that captures the timeless elegance of the classical trio—Aglaea, Euphrosyne, and Thaliagoddesses embodying beauty, joy, and creativity. Created during the Baroque era in France, this first-state impression (one of four progressive states) showcases Mellan's mastery as a leading 17th-century engraver Working in Paris after time in Rome, he drew inspiration from antiquity, rendering the nude figures with graceful, intertwined forms that evoke the sensual harmony of Renaissance ideals adapted to Baroque dynamism. Engraving, an int...

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...

The Three Graces

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