Fotoreproductie van een gravure van Kardinaal De la Rochefoucauld treedt op als onderhandelaar voor de verzoening tussen moeder en zoon te Angoulême door Jean-Marc Nattier, naar het schilderij door Peter Paul Rubens before 1864

This is a photo reproduction of an engraving by Dechamps et Cie., after Jean-Marc Nattier’s painting, which itself was inspired by Peter Paul Rubens. The scene depicts Cardinal De la Rochefoucauld mediating a reconciliation between a mother and son in Angoulême. The original painting by Rubens captures a moment of political maneuvering within the French Royal family. The figures are enmeshed in a complex web of power, familial duty, and personal emotion, revealing the gendered expectations of motherhood and the pressures of dynastic succession. This image offers a window into the negotiation of power through religious and familial diplomacy, at a time when the relationships between mothers, sons, and the church were central to political stability. Consider the layers of interpretation as the image is reproduced again and again. What does it mean for a photograph to capture an engraving after a painting? The identities of each artist adds additional context, making the final image another story entirely.