Triumphal arch erected in honor of Cardinal Mazarin after the Treaty of the Pyrenees

Art Historical Context

This etching by François Chauveau captures grand triumphal arch erected in Paris to honor Cardinal Jules Mazarin, the chief minister under young King Louis XIV, following the landmark Treaty of the Pyrene in 1659. That treaty ended decades of Franco-Spanish, securing French territorial gains and marking a pinnacle of Mazarin's diplomatic triumphs. Created around 1664–65, the print commemorates the lavish public celebrations—fêtes—with architectural splendor, including monuments, coats of arms, figures of men, and symbolic birds, evoking the era's Baroque exuberance and royal propaganda. Chauveau, a prolific French engraver known for his intricate book illustrations and reproductive prints, masterfully employed etching techniques here. By incising lines into a metal plate with acid, he achieved fine details in the arch's ornate decorations and bustling scene, making complex architecture accessible through this intimate 10¼ × 7⅜-inch sheet. Classified among prints of ornaments and architecture, it reflects 17th-century fascination with ephemera—temporary monuments turned enduring art. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1969), this work offers a window into absolutist France's spectacle culture, blending history, heraldry, and artistry for all visitors to savor.

About the Artist

François Chauveau · 1613–1676

Comment on works: Miniature painter; History; Genre; Portraits