Mellan, ClaudeFrench, 1598–1688St. Francis
About the work
The French engraver Claude Mellan spent time in Rome, where he developed a unique engraving style that uses simplified linear patterns and swelled lines to create optical, almost abstract effects. He made this image St. Francis, one of several featuring saints in the wilderness, just after he returned to Paris. The engraver’s inventive patterns of lines cross at small angles, creating moiré effects, so that the surface seems to shimmer.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2023.159
Meanwhile, in the life of Mellan, Claude
The whole life1624–1636
Acquaintance with Poussin and Bernini
During his Roman years he became acquainted with outstanding artists: Nicolas Poussin, Pierre Mignard, Claude Lorrain, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
1624–1636 · Workplace
Rome
1636
Return to France
He returned from Italy to France and settled in Aix-en-Provence with Fabri de Peiresc.
1636–1688 · Workplace
Paris
1637
Move to Paris and a New Technique
Back in Paris, he developed a distinctive technique: instead of chiaroscuro achieved by cross-hatching, a system of parallel lines whose tone is regulated by their thickness and density. He took up residence in the Louvre.
