Voetknechten en palfrenier met paard in Perzisch kostuum

About this artwork

plaatrand: hoogte 306 mm x breedte 261 mm

Art Historical Context

This etching by François Chauveau, created in 1670, depicts foot soldiers and a groom leading a horse dressed in elaborate Persian costume. The title suggests a scene rich in exotic detail, reflecting the seventeenth-century European fascination with Eastern cultures and dress. Chauveau, a skilled French printmaker, used the etching technique to capture fine textures in the figures’ garments and the horse’s trappings, inviting viewers to appreciate both the subject and the artist’s precision. Etchings like this one were valued in the Baroque period for their ability to produce multiple impressions, allowing images to circulate widely among collectors and scholars. Measuring 306 by 261 millimeters within the plate border, the work balances intimate scale with intricate line work typical of the medium. The choice of Persian attire points to a broader cultural interest in the Ottoman and Safavid worlds, often explored through costume studies and travel accounts of the time. Chauveau’s print thus serves as both an artistic record and a window into how European audiences imagined distant lands.

About the Artist

François Chauveau · 1613–1676

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