Charles d'Hozier - Gérard Edelinck

A detailed seventeenth-century engraving by Gérard Edelinck, portraying the French genealogist Charles d'Hozier in formal attire.

This engraving by Gérard Edelinck depicts Charles d'Hozier, a figure of significant administrative standing in the French court of the late seventeenth century. Edelinck, a Flemish engraver who spent much of his career in Paris, earned a reputation for his technical precision and his ability to translate the texture of oil paintings into the medium of copperplate engraving. His work often involved reproducing portraits by contemporary painters, and this piece demonstrates his mastery of tonal variation and line work.

The portrait captures d'Hozier in a formal, three-quarter pose. He is dressed in the attire of his station, with a voluminous periwig that frames his face. His hand rests upon a book, a detail that references his professional role as a genealogist and historian. The background features a heavy curtain and a classical column, elements common in the portraiture of the era to convey authority and intellectual weight. The composition is balanced, with the subject positioned to command the viewer's attention while the surrounding objects provide context for his public life.

Edelinck employs a range of hatching techniques to define the folds of the fabric and the soft curls of the wig. The play of light across the subject's features and clothing creates a sense of volume and presence. At the base of the print, a cartouche containing a coat of arms and a detailed inscription identifies the sitter and his titles. This inclusion of heraldic and biographical information is characteristic of the period's approach to commemorative portraiture. The print serves as a record of the sitter's identity and professional status, rendered with the clarity and discipline that defined Edelinck's output during his time at the Gobelins manufactory.