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Source Description
The intaglio depicted here was carved by Guay during a visit to Rome. The priestly figure comes from a relief at the Vatican, but the Greek inscription, which is actually meaningless, was invented by Guay to make the gem look like an antique. The re-imagination of the carved stone in the medium of etching inflates the figure’s muscles and loosens the folds of his robe, infusing him with life. The velvety handling of the print contrasts with the austere lines of the carved gemstone.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
95503
label
Egyptian Priest, from Madame de Pompadour's ""Suite of Prints""
core
obj
dtoType
print
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
95503
contentType
print
stage
normalized
title
Egyptian Priest, from Madame de Pompadour's ""Suite of Prints""
description
The intaglio depicted here was carved by Guay during a visit to Rome. The priestly figure comes from a relief at the Vatican, but the Greek inscription, which is actually meaningless, was invented by Guay to make the gem look like an antique. The re-imagination of the carved stone in the medium of etching inflates the figure’s muscles and loosens the folds of his robe, infusing him with life. The velvety handling of the print contrasts with the austere lines of the carved gemstone.
provenance
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, ca. 1755. Purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1895; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
date
ca. 1755
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
rare books
etchings
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
37
height
23.8
dimensionsRaw
Folio H: 14 9/16 × W: 9 3/8 in. (37 × 23.8 cm)
Source extras
med
ink on paper (etched and engraved)
creator_ids
20397
2724
5152
collection_ids
MSS
EAN
exhibition_ids
3390
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
93a23633b4d1083e