Portrait of Jean Baptiste Gayot Dubuisson 1725

Antoine Pesne painted this portrait of Jean Baptiste Gayot Dubuisson in oil on canvas sometime in the first half of the 18th century. At the time, portraiture was essential to constructing and communicating social identity. Here we see the sitter, elegantly posed with his palette and brushes, alongside his pet dog. Pesne was a court painter in Prussia, and his portraits of the Prussian elite reflect the values of that court and, more broadly, the tastes of the European aristocracy. Dubuisson’s confident gaze and relaxed posture communicate his status as a man of power and taste. The trappings of his wealth are everywhere: the elaborate wig, the fine fabrics, the carefully chosen accessories. Even the dog is a luxury item! While this painting might seem like a straightforward depiction of wealth and status, as historians we can see it as a document of the social structures of 18th-century Europe. Research into the patronage networks of the Prussian court or the economic conditions that allowed for the accumulation of such wealth can help us to understand the painting on a deeper level.