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The Noble Painter

A work made of engraving, with etching, on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of engraving, with etching, on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1642

Artist:

Abraham Bosse
French, 1602-1676

About this artwork

Abraham Bosse’s etchings of everyday life in France exude a subtle opulence. His bourgeois characters deck their walls with paintings and prints. Here even Louis XIII condescends to have his portrait painted by a well-heeled artist. Bosse drew a parallel between this depiction and the portrayal of Alexander the Great’s mistress by the ancient artist Apelles, who is depicted above the painter. According to legend, the resulting work was so exquisite that Alexander gave his mistress to Apelles, who was in love with her, but kept her portrait himself. This allusion emphasizes the artistry of Bosse’s ingenious printmaking techniques and his expectation of Louis XIII’s generosity.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Abraham Bosse

Title

The Noble Painter

Place

France (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1642

Medium

Engraving, with etching, on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Image, with text/plate: 25.2 × 32.3 cm (9 15/16 × 12 3/4 in.); Sheet: 27.1 × 34 cm (10 11/16 × 13 7/16 in.)

Credit Line

The Amanda S. Johnson and Marion J. Livingston Fund

Reference Number

2009.196

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/200157/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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