Charles Jerome de Cisternay du Fay c. 18th century

Editor: Here we have a portrait of Charles Jerome de Cisternay du Fay, engraved by Pierre Drevet. It's quite small, almost like a collector's card. What catches your eye when you look at this image? Curator: The detail! It's incredible, isn't it? Drevet really captured the texture of that wig and the sheen of the armor. I'm drawn to the inscription at the bottom, though. "Mars wounded me, and the Muse wounded me more." Perhaps a commentary on the subject's life, caught between war and art? Editor: So, it's a story etched in miniature? Curator: Exactly. It's a potent image. A tiny testament to a life lived, and cleverly rendered by Drevet. Editor: I never would have seen that on my own. Thanks!