Who painted Nicolas Rene Berryer?

Nicolas Rene Berryer was painted by Johann Georg Wille in 1762.

Where can I see Nicolas Rene Berryer?

Nicolas Rene Berryer is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Nicolas Rene Berryer?

Nicolas Rene Berryer is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Nicolas Rene Berryer?

Museum-quality prints of Nicolas Rene Berryer are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Nicolas Rene Berryer

Johann Georg Wille , 1762

Nicolas Rene Berryer is an ink print by the Baroque artist Johann Georg Wille. It dates from 1762 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This 1762 copper engraving presents Nicolas René Berrye, a senior French magistrate who served under Louis XV.

About this work

Overview

This 1762 copper engraving presents Nicolas René Berrye, a senior French magistrate who served under Louis XV. Executed by Johann Georg Wille, a German-born engraver active in Paris, the image shows the official seated in a dark chair, dressed in a long robe with a white collar and cuffs, his gaze directed toward the viewer.

Subject & Meaning

Berrye is portrayed with a solemn expression, his posture dignified and his right hand resting on a table that holds a book and scattered papers, symbols of his administrative duties. The composition emphasizes his authority and the gravitas of his office within the royal bureaucracy of the Ancien Régime.

Technique & Style

Wille employed the fine lines and tonal gradations characteristic of mid‑eighteenth‑century copper engraving. The chiaroscuro effect creates a deep, shadowed background that isolates the figure, while the delicate hatching renders the texture of the robe and the curls of the subject’s hair, reflecting the period’s preference for precise, formal portraiture.

History & Provenance

Created during Wille’s most productive period in Paris, the print circulated among collectors of contemporary French officials. Though the original plate is now housed in several European print collections, the work remains a documented example of the cross‑national artistic exchange between German engravers and French patrons in the Enlightenment era.

Nicolas Le Camus, Peter Ludwig van Schuppen

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Artist & collection

Artist

Johann Georg Wille

Johann Georg Wille, or Jean Georges Wille (5 November 1715, near Biebertal – 5 April 1808, Paris) was a German-born copper engraver, who spent most of his life in France. He also worked as an art dealer.