Claude de Mesme, Comte d'Avaux c. 17th century

Curator: Here we have Balthazar Moncornet's portrait of Claude de Mesme, Comte d'Avaux. It's a small engraving, only about 16 by 12 centimeters. Editor: He looks rather severe, doesn't he? Very much the man of state, all stiff collar and formal gaze. Curator: Indeed. Moncornet was a printmaker, part of a larger system of image production and dissemination. Consider the material properties of the print itself: the paper, the ink, the lines etched into the copperplate. Editor: It’s interesting how the oval frame almost feels like a stage, doesn’t it? With the landscape fading into the background, it’s like he’s performing his role. Curator: Precisely! The print serves a social function, circulating his image and status. Editor: I suppose even today, there is a level of constructed identity when we use social media... Curator: Absolutely. Prints like these solidified social hierarchies. Editor: I will never see portraits the same way! Thank you.