Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc
Medium
Engraving; second state of four (BN)
Dimensions
sheet: 8 11/16 x 5 13/16 in. (22 x 14.7 cm) plate: 8 3/8 x 5 1/2 in. (21.3 x 14 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.756-2172
Tags
Art Historical Context
This 1637 engraving by Claude Mellan presents a formal portrait of Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, a noted French scholar and antiquarian of the early modern period. Rendered in the second state of four, the print demonstrates the meticulous line work and tonal gradations possible with engraving, a technique prized in the seventeenth century for its ability to produce detailed, reproducible images of distinguished individuals. Mellan’s approach emphasizes clarity and restraint, focusing attention on Peiresc’s thoughtful expression and scholarly bearing. As a print rather than a unique painti...
About the Artist
Claude Mellan|Nicolas Peiresc · 1598–1688
Claude Mellan (1598-1688) was a French draughtsman, engraver, and painter who became one of the most innovative printmakers of the French Baroque period. Born in Abbeville to a family of coppersmiths, Mellan rose to become Peintre et Graveur Ordinaire du Roi (Painter and Engraver in Ordinary to the King), achieving recognition for his extraordinary technical mastery. Mellan's artistic significanc...