Beleg van Saint Martin op het Île de Ré, juli-november 1627 (randwerk, deel middenonder) 1629 - 1631

Michel Lasne created this print, “Siege of Saint Martin on the Île de Ré, July-November 1627,” a segment of a larger work, in the 17th century. It depicts Gaston d'Orleans, brother of King Louis XIII, amidst a trove of military accoutrements. The work is made in the context of theSiege of Saint Martin, a conflict inextricably linked to the tensions between Catholics and Protestants in 17th-century France. The Siege was a key event in the Anglo-French War, which saw England trying to support the French Huguenots against the French Royal forces. This print, therefore, serves as a potent symbol of the religious and political strife of the era. Lasne’s composition invites us to consider how those in positions of power are memorialized and how these images shape collective memory. What does it mean to enshrine an individual within symbols of military might? What stories get told, and perhaps more importantly, what stories are omitted? This print challenges us to reflect on the narratives we inherit and the perspectives they often exclude.