Portret van Pierre de Jélyotte met een lier

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

This engraving by Louis Jacques Cathelin, dated circa 1769, presents a formal portrait of Pierre de Jélyotte holding a lyre. At 408 by 298, the sizable print captures the subject in a dignified pose that emphasizes his connection to music and the arts. Created during the final decades of the French Enlightenment, the work reflects the era’s interest in commemorating notable cultural figures through reproducible images. Cathelin worked in the medium of engraving, a technique prized for its ability to render fine lines and subtle tonal gradations. This allowed portraits to circulate widely among collectors and scholars, extending the reach of original paintings or drawings beyond a single location. The print’s crisp detail and balanced composition demonstrate the technical mastery required to translate a sitter’s likeness onto copperplate. The sheet bears the collector’s mark Lugt 2228, evidence of its passage through distinguished hands and its enduring appeal to connoisseurs. Such marks help trace the history of ownership, reminding viewers that prints like this one have long served both as artistic records and as objects of careful preservation.