Henri-Simon Thomassin

Henri-Simon Thomassin was an artist active across the late 17th and early 18th centuries, with his known period of activity spanning from 1687 to 1729. His documented output consists primarily of printmaking, although a drawing is also preserved in museum holdings, indicating a command of multiple graphic media.

A total of ten works attributed to Thomassin are represented in major American collections, demonstrating the artist’s engagement with both historical portraiture and mythological subjects. Notable prints include the detailed scene Venus se plaint a Jupiter de la tempete que Junon a excitee contre Enee and multiple versions of the Portrait of Caravaggio, turned to the right and looking at his reflection in a mirror. Other surviving works include Portrait du Caravage and A seated woman holding a closed fan before a drawn curtain, a tree and sky beyond.

The legacy of Henri-Simon Thomassin prints is established through their preservation in leading institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Because much of this historical material resides in the public domain, many of the artist’s works are available today as high-quality prints for study and reference.