Artwork
Michel Larcher
Michel Larcher is an ink print by the Baroque artist Robert Nanteuil. It dates from 1649 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
The artist made this engraving in 1649, which is a pretty old technique - it involves scratching lines into a metal plate to create the image.
This painting shows Michel Larcher.
He's the main person in the picture.
The artist made this engraving in 1649, which is a pretty old technique - it involves scratching lines into a metal plate to create the image.
The engraving is detailed and realistic.
It's interesting because the artist was very young when he made it.
You can learn more about the technique used to create this image by looking up "engraving".
Overview
The 1649 engraving of Michel Larcher is a portrait print executed by the French engraver Robert Nanteuil. Produced in the middle of the 17th century, the work exemplifies the precise, linear quality typical of Nanteuil’s output for the court of Louis XIV. The image presents Larcher in a half‑length pose, rendered with careful attention to facial features and attire.
Subject & Meaning
Michel Larcher, whose name is recorded solely through this portrait, appears as a dignified gentleman, suggesting a status of some prominence. The composition’s sober background and the sitter’s composed expression convey the conventions of honorific portraiture, emphasizing personal identity and social rank rather than narrative content.
Technique & Style
Nanteuil employed traditional copper‑plate engraving, incising fine lines with a burin to build tone and texture. The print displays a high level of detail, especially in the rendering of hair, fabric folds, and facial anatomy, reflecting the artist’s mastery of line work and his commitment to realism within the constraints of the medium.
History & Provenance
Created when Nanteuil was still in the early stages of his career, the portrait marks one of his youthful achievements before his appointment as official engraver to Louis XIV. The print has survived in several impressions, circulating among collectors of 17th‑century French prints and contributing to the documentation of Nanteuil’s early oeuvre.
Context
During the mid‑1600s, portrait engravings served as a means of disseminating the images of notable individuals across the French court and beyond. Nanteuil’s work fits within this broader practice, providing a visual record of a contemporary figure while reinforcing the visual culture of Louis XIV’s reign.
Artist & collection
Artist
Robert Nanteuil (French pronunciation: ; 1623 – 9 December 1678) was a French portrait artist: engraver, draughtsman and pastellist to the court of Louis XIV.
