Portret van Hugo van Saint-Cher 1660

Etienne Picart created this print of Hugo van Saint-Cher in the late 17th or early 18th century. The print depicts a cardinal, a high-ranking official in the Catholic Church, in profile. Picart was one of many printmakers in France at this time who found work producing images of the elite, and this portrait reflects the hierarchical society of the era. Religious institutions such as the Catholic Church exerted considerable influence, both politically and culturally. The elaborate details of the cardinal’s robes and the inscription below serve to highlight his status and importance, reinforcing the power structures of the time. To understand this image better, one might research the role of the Catholic Church in 17th- and 18th-century France, and the ways in which portraiture served to uphold social hierarchies. Historical context is key to understanding the politics of imagery.