L'Empire de Flore
ca. 1680-1700
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1957-41-223
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Gérard Audran’s “L’Empire de Flore,” created between 1680 and 1700, is a fine example of French printmaking at the height of the Baroque era. As a reproductive engraving, the work would have helped circulate images of celebrated paintings across Europe, allowing viewers far from royal collections to study mythological subjects in detail. Audran, a leading engraver of his generation, specialized in translating the dramatic compositions and rich textures of oil paintings into the precise language of line and tone. Prints like this one played a vital cultural role in late-seventeenth-century Fra...