Louis XIV

The premier portrait engraver of the 17th century, Robert Nanteuil established the format upon which French portrait prints for the next two centuries would be based, and he also elevated the status of engraving to a prestigious liberal art. His portraits were admired for the accuracy of their likeness and their striking vivacity, which he achieved with an extraordinarily refined technique. More important, he was skilled at capturing the character of his subjects. In this portrait of Louis XIV, one of the last of the eleven he engraved of the king, the monarch's powerful presence and unchallenged authority is palpable.