Divers Trophées
Original title: Title page of "Divers Trophées" (Weapon Trophies after the Façade of Palazzo Milesi in Rome)
kurzbeschreibung
In 1651, Renatus Lochius published the title page to 'Divers Trophées', a series of weapon trophies after the facade of the Palazzo Milesi in Rome. An oval coat of arms dedicated to the Queen of Sweden forms the core, framed by putti and military trophies.
Description
An oval cartouche bears the inscription 'Divers Trophées Dediez A La Serenissime Reine de Suede Par Charles Errard Peintre du Roy 1651'. Two barefoot putti stand on either side atop a shield crowded with weapons and trophies. Helmets, shields and lances are stacked behind them. The layout is symmetrical, rendered in graded greys, with restrained lighting that picks out the surfaces.
Context
As the title page of a publication, the sheet was made in 1651 on commission from Charles Errard, a French painter and architect. Errard dedicated the work to Christina, Queen of Sweden, known as a patron of the arts. The trophies derive from models on the facade of the Palazzo Milesi in Rome, a Renaissance building whose classicizing decorations were well known.
Impact
The mirror-like arrangement and clean draughtsmanship give the sheet a calm, formal presence and thus an official character. Delicate putti and martial trophies meet; this contrast provides a fitting frame for the dedication to a female ruler.
Technique
The sheet is executed as an etching, an intaglio process in which the drawing is bitten into a metal plate. The monochrome grey scheme matches seventeenth-century printmaking. Clearly drawn lines and graduated tones attest to the skill of the engraver Renatus Lochius.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)