Twee vrouwelijke personificaties onder een portret van Lodewijk XIII in een medaillon

About this artwork

blad: hoogte 208 mm (binnen plaatrand afgesneden) x breedte 134 mm (binnen plaatrand afgesneden)

Art Historical Context

Created in 1623 by the renowned French engraver Claude Mellan *Twee vrouwelijke personaties onder een portret Lodewijk XIII in medaillon* (Two Female Personifications under a Portrait of Louis XIII in Medallion) is a delicate engraving measuring 208 mm high by 134 mm wide. Mellan, active during the Baroque era, was celebrated for his masterful line work and innovative techniques, which brought unprecedented depth and intricacy to printmaking. This small-scale work exemplifies the era's fascination with reproductive prints, allowing royal imagery to reach a broader audience beyond paintings. At its center, a medallion portrait of Louis XIII, King of France from 1610 to 1643, is flanked below by two female allegorical figures—likely embodying virtues such as Faith or Justice, common in royal iconography of the time. Produced early in Mellan's career and during the king's reign, the piece reflects the cultural emphasis on glorifying monarchy amid France's religious wars and centralizing power. Engravings like this were vital for propaganda, disseminating the king's likeness in an age before photography. Mellan's engraving technique—incising fine lines into a copper plate for inked impressions—highlights the medium's precision and portability. Trimmed within the plate marks, this sheet preserves its intimate scale, inviting close contemplation of its symbolic harmony and technical finesse, a testament to 17th-century French artistry.

About the Artist

Claude Mellan · 1598–1688

Claude Mellan (1598-1688) was a French draughtsman, engraver, and painter who became one of the most innovative printmakers of the French Baroque period. Born in Abbeville to a family of coppersmiths, Mellan rose to become Peintre et Graveur Ordinaire du Roi (Painter and Engraver in Ordinary to the King), achieving recognition for his extraordinary technical mastery. Mellan's artistic significanc...