This exhibition is dedicated to Robert Nanteuil (1623–1678), a celebrated French portrait engraver. It was for him that the official position of ‘the chief designer and engraver to the king’ was specially instituted in France in 1658.

When Louis XIV came to the throne, Nanteuil was assigned to make portraits of the king, which were printed in large runs. An outstanding designer, he largely made engravings after the original drawings of his own. He invented a unique copperplate engraving system, which was suitable for making large-sized portraits. Renowned both during his lifetime and after his death, he is still regarded as a prominent master of engraving. Armed with a burin, Robert Nanteuil created portraits of the high clergy, state ministers, members of the parliament and military leaders, which provide an illustration of the seventeenth century through the inimitable portrait art, showcasing the appearance of separate individuals and the identity of the contemporary society as a whole. This exhibition features around 70 works from the State Hermitage holdings.