Charles V after Titian
Original title: Charles V after Titian
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many contemporary princely portraits, this sheet by Anne Claude Philippe de Tubières, comte de Caylus, presents not a single figure but a group of five men in historical costume. The etching, titled 'Karl V. nach Tizian', is undated and executed in the etching technique.
Description
Five men are distributed across the image: two stand on the left, one sits in the middle, and two more stand on the right. All figures face forward, their gestures varying—one holds a staff, another an object in his hand. Folds and shadows are worked out in detail in the clothing. A mesh of diagonal lines forms the background. The view remains monochrome in shades of gray throughout.
Context
The printmaker and art collector Anne Claude Philippe de Tubières, comte de Caylus, was active in eighteenth-century France. For his etchings, he took works by recognized masters such as Titian as models. This sheet likely emerged from his engagement with Italian Renaissance painting. An exact date of creation is not recorded.
Impact
The carefully guided lines and nuanced shading give the sheet a calm, precise presence. Because the men look directly at the viewer, a direct immediacy arises that speaks to us at once.
Technique
Etching is an intaglio process: the drawing is incised into a metal plate, which is then etched with acid. The detailed, controlled lines suggest a confident handling of the etching needle. The monochrome gray values are produced by printing with black or brown ink.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)