The history of French engraving at your fingertips. This is what the Musée du Louvre is offering with the exhibition Engraver pour le roi (Engraving for the King ) from February 21 to May 20, 2020. A short retrospective in the Sully rotunda, it invites visitors to discover the art of engraving through the Louvre's Chalcographie collection, created in 1797 under the Directoire and born of the union of"three collections of engraved matrices built up since the second half of the 18th century".
This institution includes the matrices of the Cabinet du roi and its"thousand plates commissioned by Colbert to illustrate the grandeur of the reign of Louis XIV", as well as those of the Menus-Plaisirs collection and those of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. In all, 14,000 copper-engraved matrices make up the Chalcographie, whose ambition at the time of its creation was to use"printmaking" to "disseminate the image of the museum's masterpieces".
This retrospective showcases some 120 works, including almost 70 engraved matrices from these three historic collections. These works are exhibited"alongside drawings from the Louvre's Department of Graphic Arts", as well as prints from the Edmond de Rothschild collection and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. A unique opportunity to discover a part of French history... Shall we go, friends?
Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.
Dates and Opening Time
From February 21, 2019 to May 20, 2019
Location
Louvre Museum
musée du louvre
75001 Paris 1
Access
Metro Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre
Prices
Billet exposition + musée: €17
Official website
www.louvre.fr
More information
Open 9am to 6pm, 9am to 10pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. Closed on Tuesdays.
