Barthelemy Tremblay
1639
Medium
engraving on laid paper; laid down
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 27 x 19.6 cm (10 5/8 x 7 11/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of John O'Brien
Accession Number
1991.164.56
Art Historical Context
This engraving by Michel Lasne, dated 1639, presents a portrait of Barthelemy Tremblay. Created during a period when printmaking flourished in France, the work exemplifies the era’s interest in capturing notable figures through accessible reproductive media. Lasne, active as an engraver in the early seventeenth century, employed precise line work to convey both likeness and status on the modest sheet. The medium—an engraving on laid paper—highlights the technical demands of the process, where the artist incised fine lines into a copper plate to produce detailed impressions. Such prints were w...
About the Artist
Michel Lasne · 1590–1667
Michel Lasne (ca. 1590–1667) was a French engraver, draughtsman, and collector who became one of the most prolific printmakers of the French Baroque period. Born in Caen around 1590, Lasne was the son of a goldsmith, which provided him with early exposure to metalworking techniques essential for engraving. His career spanned the reigns of Louis XIII and the early years of Louis XIV, during which h...