Jakob Christof LE BLON (Frankfurt, 1667- Paris, 1741) Nosce te ipsum Cardboard pasted on panel Signed and dated lower right: J. C. Le BLON / 1690 Titled top right: Nofce / te ipsum Inscribed on the back of the wood panel: J. C Leblon / 1690 5,7 x 8,8 cm A student of Carlo Maratta, Jacob Christof Le Blon understood from the beginning of the 18th century the importance of Newton's recent work on the decomposition of light, especially its application to painting. He distinguishes three fundamental colors: blue, yellow and red, which, combined in different mixtures, can reproduce the full range of visible colors. Le Blon then applied this theory to the engraving in the black way in order to carry out engravings in colors, with the assistance of three engraved plates, of which it immediately sees the scientific and commercial interest: to reproduce famous tables like the Portrait of Louis XV, engraving after Nicholas Blakey.