Artwork
Pierre Seguier
Pierre Seguier is an ink print by the Baroque artist Michel Lasne. It dates from 1633 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Michel Lasne’s 1633 engraving portrays Pierre Séguier, a leading French magistrate of the early seventeenth century. Executed on laid paper, the image presents a formal portrait in stark black‑and‑white line work, emphasizing the sitter’s dignified expression and official regalia.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is shown in a dark coat with elaborate ruffled cuffs and a white collar, signifying his high status. A jeweled chain and a heraldic shield bearing a star and a diminutive figure reinforce his noble rank, while surrounding Latin inscriptions enumerate his titles, such as senator and chancellor, underscoring his political authority.
Technique & Style
Lasne employed the traditional copper‑plate engraving method, incising fine, precise lines that translate into crisp tonal contrasts on the laid paper support. The sharp delineation of facial features and clothing details reflects the meticulous draftsmanship typical of early Baroque printmaking, a skill Lasne honed during his apprenticeship in Antwerp.
History & Provenance
Born in Caen around 1590, Lasne trained under Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck before moving to Paris by 1621. In 1633, the same year he produced the Séguier portrait, he was appointed official engraver to King Louis XIII, a position that placed him at the center of French courtly visual culture.
Context
The portrait aligns with the period’s practice of using engraved likenesses to disseminate the images of prominent officials. Such prints served both as records of personal achievement and as visual propaganda, reinforcing the authority of state figures within the broader network of royal patronage.
Artist & collection
Artist
Michel Lasne (Caen, ca. 1590–4 December 1667, Paris), was a French engraver, draughtsman and collector. Lasne was born in Caen and was the son of a goldsmith. He was a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp for…
