Portrait of Louis Elisabeth de La Vergne, Comte de Tressan
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Image: 5 3/8 × 3 1/8 in. (13.7 × 8 cm) Sheet: 8 in. × 5 1/16 in. (20.3 × 12.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, 1924
Accession Number
24.80.144
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This engraving, created between 1783 and 1792, presents a refined portrait of Louis Elisabeth de La Vergne, Comte de Tressan. The work reflects the late eighteenth-century French interest in capturing the likenesses of notable figures through printmaking, allowing such images to circulate widely among collectors and admirers. Executed as an engraving—a technique prized for its precision and ability to render fine details—the print measures just over five inches in height. Artists Nicolas de Launay and Antoine Borel contributed to its production, combining their skills to translate drawn likeness into this durable medium. Such portraits often served both as personal mementos and as tributes to intellectual or military accomplishments during a transformative era in French history. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this piece entered the collection as an anonymous gift in 1924. Its modest scale and elegant line work highlight the intimate appeal of eighteenth-century engravings, inviting viewers to appreciate both the subject and the craftsmanship involved in its creation.
About the Artist
Louis Elisabeth de La Vergne, comte de Tressan|Nicolas de Launay|Antoine Borel (French|French|French) · 1705 |1739 |1743 –1783 |1792 |1843
French, Le Mans 1705–1783 Paris|French, Paris, 1739–1792|French, Paris 1743–after 1810