Jacques Nicolas Colbert c. 18th century

Curator: This is Pierre Drevet's portrait of Jacques Nicolas Colbert. It's a masterful print, isn't it? Editor: Yes, but initially, I find it a bit… oppressive. All that formality, the inscribed oval, the architectural base—it screams institutional power. Curator: Indeed. Colbert was, after all, Archbishop of Rouen. The symbols—his cross, the inscription—all reinforce his authority within the Catholic Church and French society. How do we understand his power in relation to broader historical oppressions? Editor: I see the cross transformed into a political symbol—a signifier of social hierarchy and, perhaps, exclusion. The face itself seems to carry the weight of those contradictions. Curator: And Drevet’s skill makes those nuances legible, doesn’t it? It's not just a portrait; it's a document of power. Editor: Exactly. Looking at it now, I see layers of meaning—a visual record of a specific cultural moment, with all its inherent biases.