Artwork
Isabelle Claire Eugénie
Isabelle Claire Eugénie is an ink print by the Baroque artist Balthasar Moncornet. It dates from 1634 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Isabelle Claire Eugénie is a 1634 engraving on laid paper by French artist Balthasar Moncornet, one of approximately 45 portrait prints he produced during his career.
Subject & Meaning
The engraving portrays Isabelle Claire Eugénie, a woman dressed in a nun’s habit, holding a rosary and a book, conveying a sense of serene devotion. Her identity beyond the portrait remains unknown. A miniature background scene, framed like a window, adds contextual depth to her image.
Technique & Style
Moncornet employed fine lines and nuanced shading techniques, characteristic of 17th-century engraving, to achieve depth and dimensionality in this black-and-white work. The inscription asserts the likeness's accuracy.
History & Provenance
Created in 1634, specific details about the engraving’s history and ownership prior to its current location are not provided.
Context
This work reflects Moncornet’s specialty in portraying notable figures of his time, though Isabelle’s significance is not elaborated upon. The piece exemplifies the technical standards of its era in engraving.
Legacy
While the engraving demonstrates Moncornet’s skill in his medium, its broader impact or influence on subsequent artistic practices is not highlighted in available information.
Artist & collection
Artist
Balthasar Moncornet (1600, Rouen – 1668, Paris) was a French painter, engraver, and tapissier revered for his depictions of around 45 different prominent figures of the 17th century.
Catherine Gascoigne
Isabella Clara Eugenia as a Nun
Portrait of a Nun Holding Crucifix
Isabella Clara Eugenia, Infanta of Spain
Portrait of Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia as Clarisse
Anne of Austria
Portrait of Isabel Clara Eugenia as a nun
Frances Bridges
Infantin Isabella Clara Eugenia, portrait as a widow
Portrait of Gertruida Assink (1602-1679), wife of the mayor of Deventer