Nicolas Delaunay

Nicolas Delaunay was a graphic artist and printmaker active during a documented period stretching from 1666 through 1770. His verifiable output centers exclusively on etching and engraving, with fifteen of his prints represented in major North American museum collections.

Delaunay’s subjects spanned formal portraiture, historical figures, and domestic genre scenes. This range is demonstrated by documented titles such as the specific portrait Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, contrasted with allegorical or moralizing domestic scenes. Notable examples of his thematic work include Le carquois épuisé (The Empty Quiver), Conjugal Gaiety, and Education is Everything. He also produced depictions of everyday life, exemplified by the print Fritters.

The historical importance of Nicolas Delaunay is confirmed by the institutional holdings of his work. Prints by Nicolas Delaunay are preserved in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. As many such historical works are now considered public domain, high-quality prints of his output are frequently used for scholarly study and general reference.