A Woman Peeling Pears
Vaillant learned the mezzotint technique from Prince Rupert of the Rhine, whom he met and assisted during a visit to Frankfurt am Main in 1658. Active in Amsterdam and Paris, Vaillant became the first professional mezzotint-engraver, whose works achieved success throughout Europe. Here, he presents a domestic scene of his own design, showing a woman (presumably a servant) peeling fruit. As this richly toned plate reveals, Vaillant's mezzotint grounds appear more evenly textured than those of his predecessors.
Artwork Details
- Title: A Woman Peeling Pears
- Artist: Wallerant Vaillant (Dutch, Lille 1623–1677 Amsterdam)
- Date: mid-17th century
- Medium: Mezzotint; second state of two
- Dimensions: Sheet: 9 3/4 x 12 1/16 in. (24.8 x 30.7 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha whittelsey Fund, 1956
- Object Number: 56.605.14
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.