Louis-Emmanuel de Valois, comte d'Alais et duc d'Angoulême 1610 - 1688

This print, now in the Metropolitan Museum, was made by Claude Mellan, sometime in the 17th century. It is made from ink on paper, through the intaglio process. The image is built up from an extraordinarily delicate network of fine lines. Mellan was a master of engraving, and the effect he achieved here seems almost impossible. If you look closely, you’ll see that he used a burin to cut into a metal plate, creating a dense matrix of grooves. Ink was then applied, and the plate pressed onto paper. This was typical of printmaking at the time, but Mellan's image stands out. It testifies to the intense labor required, but also the intense skill of the artist. Prints like this were luxury goods, and were made possible by the rising merchant class, and new forms of patronage. They reflect a desire to monumentalize members of Royalty, through technical virtuosity. It’s a compelling case study in the relationship between artistic skill, social class, and new markets for luxury goods.