Park of M. de Rothschild at Ferrières c. 1860

Maxime Lalanne made this drawing of the Park of M. de Rothschild at Ferrières with graphite on paper. It is a picturesque image of the Rothschild family's country estate. The Rothschilds were a powerful banking family in France during the 19th century. As such, they became patrons of the arts and benefactors to artists like Lalanne. The monumental scale of the estate can be read as a signifier of their wealth and status. It is no accident that the artist chooses this as his subject. In making it, the artist is both celebrating and memorializing wealth and power. At the same time, the drawing can be understood as part of a wider cultural phenomenon in which the bourgeoisie sought to emulate the lifestyle of the aristocracy. To understand the role of the Rothschild family and artists like Lalanne, we might consult historical sources such as bank records, family papers, and art criticism from the period. This reminds us that the interpretation of art is always a social and historical act.