"Les Grandes Frises" (4 of 12)

Art Historical Context

"Les Grandes Frises"4 of 12) is a captivating etching by French artist Pierre Brebiette, created before 1626. delicate print, measuring just under 3 by 10 inches, belongs to a series of twelve that evokes the grandeur of ancient friezes through intricate compositions. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it entered the collection through the generous bequest of Phyllis Massar in 1. Etching, Brebiette's chosen medium, involves biting acid into a metal plate to create fine, expressive lines—ideal for rendering the dynamic interplay of women wielding bows and arrows amid lively animals. This panel likely draws from classical mythology, perhaps depicting huntresses like Diana or Amazons in a frieze-like procession, blending narrative energy with decorative elegance. Brebiette, active in early 17th-century Paris, bridged Mannerist refinement and emerging Baroque vitality, using prints to popularize antique motifs among artists and collectors. As part of this ambitious series, the work highlights the era's fascination with Greco-Roman art, revived through Renaissance scholarship. Its small scale belies its cultural weight, offering a window into how 17th-century printmakers preserved and reinterpreted antiquity for modern audiences. A true gem for print enthusiasts!

About the Artist

Pierre Brebiette · 1598–1642

Pierre Brébiette (c. 1598–c. 1642) was a French painter and etcher whose elegant, sensuous treatment of classical mythology and allegory earned him a significant reputation in early seventeenth-century Paris. Born in Mantes-sur-Seine, Brébiette traveled to Italy as a young man and lived and worked in Rome from around 1617 to approximately 1625, absorbing the influences of ancient sculpture, Renais...