Artwork
Anne of Austria, Queen of France and Navarre
Anne of Austria, Queen of France and Navarre is an ink print by the Baroque artist Robert Nanteuil. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:recto: in plate, in oval around portrait: REINE DE FRANCE ET DE NAVARRE [star] ANNE DAVSTRICHE P. L. G. DE DIEV; in plate, at lower left: Mignard Pinxit. Nanteüil sculpebat. 1660.; verso: at top center, in graphite, in later hand: 4 II; at lower center, in graphite, in later hand: Premier état vrai / Avant le trait échoppe / au sommet de l'étoile / Très rare; at bottom right, in later hand: 22 [black ink] / 400 [brown ink]
- Markings
- Marked:recto: none; verso: Joseph-Guillaume-Jean Camberlyn (Lugt 514); Ambroise Firmin-Didot (Lugt 119); Alfred Hubert (Lugt 130); Charles M. Petitjean (Lugt 608)
About this work
Overview
This engraving on laid paper depicts Anne of Austria, Queen of France and Navarre. Created in 1660 by Robert Nanteuil, it showcases his skill as a portrait artist for the French monarchy.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait shows Anne of Austria in formal attire, adorned with a pearl necklace and a decorative collar, symbolizing her royal status. A shield below her image features a crown and fleur-de-lis, emblems of her royal heritage.
Technique & Style
The engraving, a technique involving etching into metal and printing, demonstrates Nanteuil's mastery of refined portrait engraving, a style favored by the French court during this period. The detailed lines and decorative border framing the queen's face are characteristic of this style.
Own this work as a print
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.
