Claude Mellan. The Mousetrap. 1649–1659. France. Engraving and drypoint in black on ivory laid paper Mellan never completed this secular engraving, and he may not have intended to publish or distribute it widely. The work is a surprisingly sensual departure for an artist who engraved hundreds of religious subjects and portraits, but it maintains his sinuous, supple line. The stark nudity of the Venus-like central figure, taken from an unfinished plate with substantial areas of blank space, enhances the print’s abstraction.

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Size: 3000px × 2236px
Photo credit: © WBC ART / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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