
Panels from the High Altar of the Charterhouse of Saint-Honoré, Thuison-les-Abbeville: Virgin and Child
1490 · Oil on panel
Panel: 117.3 × 50.8 cm (46 3/16 × 20 in.); Framed: 137.2 × 69.8 cm (54 × 27 1/2 in.)
Art Institute of Chicago
Sébastien Leclerc was a French printmaker whose engravings and etchings documented the scientific and technical achievements of 17th-century France with unprecedented precision. Working across allegorical, architectural, and scientific subjects, his prints synthesized the visual language of court art with the emerging culture of empirical observation. A prolific draftsman, Leclerc created over 3,000 plates during a career spanning more than five decades, establishing the aesthetic standards for French reproductive engraving. His work appeared in royal commissions and technical treatises, bridging art and knowledge production in the age of Louis XIV.
Source: Smithsonian Institution · Trust score: 40% · Updated 14d ago