Mask of a Bald Man with Pointed Ears and a Long, Parted Beard, from Divers Masques

Art Historical Context

Step into the whimsical world of 17th French printmaking with *Mask of a Bald Man Pointed Ears and Long, Parted Beard*, from the series *Diversques* (Various Masks). Created around 1635–45 byavers François Chauveau Jacques Van Merlen, delicate etching measures just 2½ × 1⅝ inches, showcasing the precision of the medium. Etching, popular in Baroque Europe, allowed artists to incise fine lines into a metal plate with acid, producing intricate details ideal for reproductive prints and design books. This fantastical mask features a bald figure with exaggerated pointed ears and a flowing, parted beard, evoking the grotesque and ornamental motifs of the era. Chauveau, a prolific illustrator known for his work with authors like Molière, specialized in such playful, humanoid masks inspired by classical antiquity and commedia dell'arte theater traditions. Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection (classified under Ornament & Architecture), it reflects how artists supplied decorative motifs for architecture, furniture, and costumes. These prints held cultural sway as pattern books for artisans, blending humor and horror in a time when masks symbolized disguise and satire. Acquired via the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1945, this tiny gem invites us to ponder the era's fascination with the bizarre, bridging art and everyday design.

About the Artist

François Chauveau|Jacques Van Merlen · 1613–1676

Comment on works: Miniature painter; History; Genre; Portraits