François La Rochefoucauld

Art Historical Context

This elegant engraving portrays François La Rochefoucauld (1551–1600), a nobleman during the late Renaissance, captured with remarkable precision by master engraver Michel Lasne Produced on laid paper—a traditional handmade sheet with distinctive chain lines visible under light—the print measures 32.8 x 22.8 cm, ideal for display in scholarly collections or private studies. Lasne, active in the vibrant printmaking hubs of 16th- and early 17th-century France, specialized in portraits that blended Renaissance realism with emerging Baroque expressiveness. Engraving's intaglio technique, where fine lines are incised into a copper plate and inked under pressure, allowed Lasne to achieve intricate details in facial features, clothing, and textures—hallmarks of the medium's artistic prowess. Such prints were revolutionary, democratizing access to elite likenesses beyond oil paintings, and served as visual biographies for Europe's aristocracy amid religious wars and royal intrigue. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art's Prints department (CG-E) through the generous gift of John O'Brien, this work illuminates the cultural role of portrait prints in preserving historical figures, inviting us to ponder La Rochefoucauld's world of chivalry and courtly ambition.

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...