Mellan, ClaudeFrench, 1598–1688Omer Talon
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Omer Talon” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
Omer Talon was the attorney general to the Parisian Parliament at the beginning of the Fronde, a period of civil war in France, known for opposing a major tax proposed by Louis XIV’s mother, Anne of Austria. With his singular style of engraving, Claude Mellan employed parallel lines, rather than cross-hatching, to create shading. This technique is visible on Talon’s cap, where Mellan thickened and darkened portions of the lines around its center to suggest a dark fabric lit from above. Since this style leaves more of the paper untouched by ink, Mellan’s engravings are often lighter than works by his contemporaries.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1941.449
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
