Jean Baptiste Colbert, Antique Engraved Portrait, William Mackenzie, circa 1870
€ 145
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1870
Mapmaker / artist
P. Mignard (painter), W. Holl (engraver)
Publisher
William Mackenzie, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and New York
Technique
Steel engraving
Coloring
Uncolored
Sheet size
28 × 19 cm (11.0 × 7.5 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14343-21
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Good condition for its age. A few small spots to the upper margin; small crease to the upper right corner. Please review the images for further condition details.
About this sheet
An engraved portrait of Jean Baptiste Colbert, the great minister of Louis XIV, lettered in open capitals "Jean Baptiste Colbert." beneath the image. The plate is lettered "P. Mignard, Pinxt" at lower left, after a painting by Pierre Mignard, the leading portrait painter of the French court, and "W. Holl Sct" at lower right for the engraver. The imprint at the foot reads "William Mackenzie, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London & New-York".
Colbert (1619 to 1683) served Louis XIV as controller general of finances and secretary of state for the navy. He reorganized the royal finances, founded the French navy as a modern fighting force, sponsored royal manufactures such as the Gobelins tapestry works, and established the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Inscriptions. His name has given the word Colbertism to the economic policy of state directed trade and industry.
The minister is shown half length, turned to the left, with a long, full curled wig falling over the shoulders and a lace jabot at the throat. Over a dark coat he wears a cloak with an embroidered border, and on the cloak is the large eight pointed star of the Order of the Holy Spirit, the highest order of the French monarchy. The engraving is close and detailed, with the face softly modeled, the curls of the wig drawn one by one and the lace and embroidery picked out in bright, crisp line against a dark ruled background.
William Mackenzie of Glasgow published illustrated subscription works in parts, each furnished with full page steel engraved portraits on separate leaves, and the New York address in the imprint shows the wide reach of his business. This is a fine portrait for collectors of French history and the age of Louis XIV, or for the office of anyone working in finance, and it frames well in a dark or gilt molding with a broad mat.
This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.
