A gentleman walking forward, his face in profile to the left, holding his glove in his right hand and wearing a hat, a fur jacket, and shoes with ribbons, from "The Garden of the French Nobles In Which One Can Pick Up Their Way of Dressing"

Art Historical Context

This etching, titled *A gentleman walking forward, face in profile to the left, holding his glove in right hand and wearing a hat, a fur jacket, and shoes ribbons*, captures the elegant stride of a French noble from Abraham Bosse and Jean de Saint-Igny 1629 series *The Garden of the French Nobles In Which One Can Pick Up Their Way of Dressing Bosse, a master etcher renowned for his precise depictions of 17th life, collaborated here to showcase aristocratic fashion as if plucked from a stylish garden—ribbons on shoes, fur-trimmed jackets, and feathered hats evoking the opulence of Louis XIII's court. Created as a first-state etching (the earliest impression before revisions), this small plate (5½ × 3¾ in.) exemplifies Bosse's innovative technique: fine, intricate lines that render textures like fur and fabric with remarkable realism. Such prints were popular disseminators of fashion trends, blending satire with admiration for noble excess during France's Baroque era. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011), this work offers a vivid snapshot of male profile portraiture and sartorial splendor, inviting visitors to "pick" insights into the era's cultural flair.

About the Artist

Abraham Bosse|Jean de Saint-Igny · 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 ...