Portret van François de Vendôme 1650 - 1652

This engraving depicts François de Vendôme, Duc de Beaufort, and it was made in France by an anonymous artist. This portrait creates meaning through visual codes tied to status, such as his armor, and the suggestion of an aristocratic residence in the background. Engravings like this one helped to create a sense of public identity for elites in early modern Europe. They gave people an idea of who was who in society, and what their roles were. They were usually commissioned and paid for by the subject. These images are not neutral records, but carefully constructed statements about power. In a society that was highly stratified, portraits were a way to reinforce social hierarchy. They helped to fix people in their place. As historians, we can research the circumstances under which this portrait was made, and compare it to other images of the same period. We can also use archival sources to find out more about the people who commissioned and collected these kinds of images, and their impact on the cultural landscape.