Satyr Mask with a Spiral-Shaped Beard and Ivy Grouped Around Each Horn, from Divers Masques
ca. 1635–45
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 1/2 × 1 5/8 in. (6.3 × 4.2 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1945
Accession Number
45.101.52
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the whimsical *Satyr Mask with a Spiral-Shaped Beard and Ivy Grouped Around Each Horn*, a delicate etching from the series *Divers Masques*Various Masks), created around 1635–45 by French engravers François Chauveau and Jacques Van Merlen. Measuring just 2½ × 1⅝ inches, this tiny print packs a punch of intricate detail, showcasing the precision of 17th-century etching techniques. Etching, where acid bites into a metal plate to create fine lines, allowed artists like Chauveau—known for his illustrations of classical themes—to produce multiples of ornamental designs with remarkable clarit...
About the Artist
François Chauveau|Jacques Van Merlen · 1613–1676
Comment on works: Miniature painter; History; Genre; Portraits