Claude Varin

Claude Varin was an artist specializing in metalwork, documented as active during the mid-17th century between 1633 and 1651. Varin's output centered on detailed portraiture, capturing prominent political and aristocratic figures of the period.

Five examples of Varin’s work are represented in major museum collections, establishing the historical and artistic merit of the artist. These metalworks are preserved in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The surviving pieces are considered museum-quality examples of mid-17th-century portraiture.

The documented subjects confirm Varin’s high-level patronage. Key works include portraits of French royalty and political leadership, such as Petrus (Pierre) Séguier, Keeper of Seals and Chancellor of France, and Nicolas de Neufville, Marquis, later Duke of Villeroi, Marshal of France (1598–1685). The artist also completed likenesses of Madeleine de Créquy, Maréchale de Villeroy, and the English nobleman William Ducy, later Third Baronet and Viscount Downe (1615-1679). The portrait of Charles Grolier, provost of the merchants of Lyon (1650–73), also contributes to the known body of work.

Though Varin specialized in metalwork, the compositions are sometimes reproduced as high-quality prints. As the original works enter the public domain, the legacy of Claude Varin prints continues to be studied.