Mathieu Molé
ca. 1653
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 x 10 in. (33 x 25.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. Lev Tsitrin, 2001
Accession Number
2001.647.43
Tags
About this artwork
This Mathieu Molé by Robert Nanteuil dating to ca. 1653 exemplifies the period. Created in engraving, the work demonstrates technical mastery of materials and processes characteristic of the era. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints, this piece contributes to our understanding of historical artistic production. Prints from this period served diverse functions—artistic expression, documentation, commercial distribution, and cultural commentary—reflecting the broader dem...
About the Artist
Robert Nanteuil · 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...