Léon-Bouthillier, Comte de Chavigny
Medium
Engraving; first state of two (Petitjean & Wickert)
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 7/16 × 9 3/4 in. (31.6 × 24.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924
Accession Number
24.63.13
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of 17th French portraiture with *Léon-Bouthill, Comte de Chavigny*, an exquisite engraving from around 1651. Master engraver Robert Nante collaborated with painter Philippe de Champaigne a leading figure in the Flemish Baroque style active at the French court, to capture the noble diplomat's dignified likeness. This first state of two—referenced in the authoritative Petitjean & Wickert catalogue—measures 12 7/16 × 9 3/4 inches and exemplifies the era's precision in printmaking. Engravings like this were vital for immortalizing Europe's elite, allowing portraits of ...
About the Artist
Robert Nanteuil|Philippe de Champaigne · 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...