Robert Nanteuil (1625–1678) Henri de la Tour d’Auvergne, Viscount of Turenne. Circa 1665. Engraving. 417 x 497 mm. Petitjean-Wickert 219. Very fine print on laid paper, trimmed to the square line. A small snag and a fine diagonal tear to the right of the tower in the lower right corner. Formerly in the collection of P. Demany (Lugt 780b). AABM stamp (Lugt 3075). "Henri de La Tour d’Auvergne was born in 1611 and died in 1675. As Marshal General of the King’s Camps and Armies, he was one of the most brilliant strategists of the 17th century. Serving first under Louis XIII and then under Louis XIV, he distinguished himself in numerous military campaigns, notably against Spain, the kingdom’s traditional enemy. His style of commanding troops made him a respected leader until his death on the battlefield in 1675.” (BnF). Despite the realism of the features—which make no attempt to erase the signs of age or fatigue—the overall aesthetic idealizes the marshal’s character. His gaze is direct, penetrating, and imbued with a quiet gravity. He embodies the ideal Stoic virtues of the era: dignity, self-control, military wisdom, and devotion to the Crown.