Portret van Charles de La Fosse

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

**Portret van Charles de Fosse** is a striking 1707 engraving by Gaspard Duchange, skilled French engraver renowned for his precise reproductive prints. Measuring 356 mm high by 252 mm wide, it captures the likeness of Charles de La F (1636–1716), a prominent Baroque painter who served Louis XIV and blended influences from Rubens and Veronese his grand history paintings. Created at the height of the French ancien régime, this portrait reflects the era's fascination with immortalizing artists as cultural heroes, disseminating their images through affordable prints across Europe. Engraving, Duchange's chosen medium, involved incising fine lines into a copper plate with a burin, allowing for intricate details in shading, texture, and expression—hallmarks of 18th-century printmaking excellence. These techniques made portraits like this accessible beyond oil paintings, fueling the booming art market and collector culture. On the verso, a stamped collector's mark (Lugt 240) identifies provenance linked to the esteemed Comte Isaac de Bruyn, a Dutch connoisseur. This detail underscores the artwork's journey through prestigious hands, highlighting its enduring value in tracing art history and ownership. A testament to early modern artistry, it invites us to appreciate how prints bridged elite patronage and public admiration.