Portret van François Christophe Kellermann 1838 - 1841

Editor: This is Louis-Joseph Isnard Desjardins’ "Portret van François Christophe Kellermann," created as a print sometime between 1838 and 1841. It's an engraving and has a decidedly old-fashioned feel. How do you interpret this work within its historical context? Curator: I see this portrait as deeply intertwined with the shifting sands of French identity in the 19th century. Kellermann, a Marshal of France, represents the Napoleonic era and its military ambitions. The very act of creating and circulating his portrait, decades after his military service, speaks to a longing for a specific kind of masculine heroism that served to stabilize national identity, a powerful archetype perhaps fading from prominence. Who did these images serve and what social anxieties did they ease? Editor: That’s a really interesting point about stabilizing national identity. The portrait certainly has a performative aspect to it. All of those decorative elements seem like a stage costume. Curator: Exactly! It begs the question: What narratives of power and prestige are being constructed through these visual signifiers? How does the representation of masculinity reinforce societal hierarchies of the time? Consider, too, that Kellermann achieved distinction prior to the empire, yet the image presents a man intertwined with its grandeur. What does that repositioning achieve? Editor: I never really thought about it that way before. So much more is happening beneath the surface than I initially considered. I was just seeing "old-timey." Curator: Indeed, portraits of figures like Kellermann actively participate in a discourse, helping us understand what French society valued—or wished to value—in that era, who got to wield authority, and the complex interplay of power and representation. Editor: Thank you. I learned that considering social anxiety can be just as vital as technique.