Wallerant Vaillant

Dutch painter, printmaker, and draftsman
Dutch, (1623–1677)
As a painter, Vaillant specialized in portraits; he also painted genre scenes and one or two trompe-l'oeil still lifes. He is known primarily for his studio interiors depicting apprentices learning to draw. His work as a draftsman consists mainly of life-size portrait studies in chalk. Vaillant was the first professional mezzotinter and with that medium achieved remarkable results and had a great following. His more than 200 prints continued to be copied well into the 18th century. His designs came from his own paintings as well as from Italian Renaissance painters and the work of contemporaries. Vaillant first learnt the technique of mezzotinting during a visit to Frankfurt am Main in 1658. He was a pupil and assistant to Prince Rupert.