Jean-Baptiste van Steenberghen
Medium
Engraving; first or second state of two (Petitjean & Wickert)
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 7/16 × 9 7/16 in. (31.6 × 24 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. Lev Tsitrin, 2001
Accession Number
2001.647.53
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite engraving portrays Jean-Baptiste van Steenberghen, prominent figure of 17th-century Europe, with remarkable precision by master engraver Robert Nante in collaboration with François Duchâtel. Dated 1668, it the height of French Baroque portraiture during the reign of Louis XIV, when detailed prints like this served as vital tools for disseminating the likenesses of nobility,, and diplomats across courts and collections. Nanteuil, renowned for his meticulous line work and ability to convey texture and personality through engraving, produced this as the first or second state of tw...
About the Artist
Robert Nanteuil|François Duchâtel · 1623–1678
Robert Nanteuil (1623-1678) was a French portrait engraver, draughtsman, and pastellist who became the preeminent portraitist to the court of Louis XIV. His technical mastery and royal patronage fundamentally transformed the status of engraving in France, elevating it from a mechanical craft to a recognized fine art. Nanteuil stands as the outstanding French portrait engraver of the seventeenth c...