The School Master
ca. 1635–38
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 10 in. × 12 5/8 in. (25.4 × 32.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.49.53
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of 17th-century, *The School Master* (ca. 1635–38), an etching by Bosse in collaboration with Jean I Leond, captures the intimate drama of a classroom interior. Bosse, a master printmaker renowned for his precise depictions of everyday life, drew from the realist traditions of Jacques Callot, using etching—a revolutionary technique involving acid-bitten metal plates—to render fine details with remarkable clarity. This medium allowed for affordable, reproducible images that brought domestic scenes to a wide audience, bridging art and popular culture. The composition cente...
About the Artist
Abraham Bosse|Jean I Leblond · 1602–1676
Abraham Bosse (1604–1676) was a French printmaker and theorist whose approximately 1,600 etchings provide an unparalleled visual record of 17th-century French life. Born to Huguenot parents in Tours, he trained in Paris under Melchior Tavernier and became a devoted follower of Jacques Callot's technical innovations. Bosse's meticulous etchings depicted subjects ranging from daily life and fashion ...