Everhard Jabach Et Sa Famille 

Charles Le Brun painted "Everhard Jabach Et Sa Famille" using oil on canvas, a common choice for grand portraits during the Baroque era. The key here is to understand the labor implied by the painting. Not just Le Brun’s, but also the labor of the Jabach family, who were wealthy bankers and merchants. The family has bought its way into the upper echelons of French society, and they want us to know it. Consider the rich drapery, the classical sculpture, the books and globe, even the family’s clothing. All were purchased, made, and assembled, accruing to the Jabach’s a kind of cultural capital. Even the family dog, a sleek greyhound, is a luxury good. Le Brun’s technique, smooth and polished, emphasizes the family’s wealth and status. The painting is a material document of their economic and social position. It shows the labor of many people, from the weavers of the fabrics to the artists who created the sculptures, all under the control and patronage of the Jabach family.