Allegorische voorstelling met Armand-Jean du Plessis hertog van Richelieu, in het gezelschap van Apollo en Neptunus 1616 - 1670

Curator: Right now, we're looking at an engraving held at the Rijksmuseum. It’s called "Allegorical Representation with Armand-Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu, Accompanied by Apollo and Neptune". Gr\u00e9goire Huret worked on it sometime between 1616 and 1670. Editor: Well, my first thought is...whew, that's intense! Look at all the detail packed in here! A total Baroque explosion! Almost feels like a propaganda poster from some celestial courtroom. What’s with all the barely-clothed characters in tormented poses? Curator: Yes, Huret has organized a complex allegory meant to elevate Richelieu, positioning him as a figure of great importance—hence Apollo, god of the sun, and Neptune, ruler of the sea, in attendance. You see that text incorporated, turning this work into a commemorative document. Editor: Commemorative...that suggests this wasn't a quick, tossed-off sketch. The intricate patterns, the precise lines only achieved with dedicated hand work... I am intrigued about its history and how this particular print came to be reproduced and circulated. Also how they were made on metal plates with these various mordants in an elaborate performance. Curator: Absolutely. This was carefully considered and expertly executed as an allegorical history-painting and made as engraving to facilitate wider circulation during the 17th century. The layering of classical imagery and explicit references to Richelieu would have resonated deeply. He becomes a figure sanctioned by the heavens, doesn't he? It would be seen not as self-aggrandizement, but an assertion of rightful place. Editor: Maybe. It is not all celestial; those folks writhing under Neptune’s trident, those are about the terrestrial. Someone definitely thought hard about visually conveying power, and used a variety of different artistic modes, a real Baroque sampler pack! Curator: I suppose it reveals a mentality so different from our own age. When a single print could carry so much weighted meaning. So interesting to encounter those mental structures and unpack all the references from so long ago... Editor: Yeah, I mean it is a piece that throws light on a certain approach to the printing industry. And, as with all art, you know, how it affects and moves each person.