17th-century Engraving By Abraham Bosse: The Sculptor In His Workshop

A fine print, cropped at the edge of the square, the upper left corner redone.
1642
Blum: 204

"In his studio, a sculptor receives three elegantly dressed visitors, two women and a man. One of the women is captivated by a large marble statue of Venus and Cupid, erected on a pedestal to the right. On the pedestal rest a mallet and a chisel, a compass against it, and on the ground, gouges and a brush. The statue is reminiscent of the work of the sculptor Jacques Sarazin (1592-1660), particularly the groups created for the Château de Wideville, on which the architect Thomas Francini also collaborated. The sculptor, holding a chisel in his right hand, presents with his left the reduced-scale model that served as his guide for creating his marble statue. To the left, on a stand, is a man's head; on a table behind, several wax models, and Wax on paper, and a modeling tool; behind them, on a small table, two wax models, one of which, still in progress, is covered with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out too quickly. On shelves at the back of the workshop, as well as on the floor, are various examples of our sculptor's work, where one notices, on the left, a statue of Strength, and on the right a group with a river god; between the two, a carved cartouche bearing the arms of Cardinal Richelieu. Behind the visitors, a funerary sculpture is partially visible.
"Abraham Bosse and the Royal Academy" "Reason above all" by Sophie Join-Lambert, article written as part of "Abraham Bosse, Learned Engraver" at the National Library of France from April 20 to July 11, 2004.