Portret van Louis-Sébastien Mercier 1796 - 1851

Pierre Nicolas Géraut created this print of Louis-Sébastien Mercier sometime between 1786 and 1851. But who was Mercier, and why did Géraut choose to depict him? Mercier was a French writer and economist, an intellectual who was deeply concerned with the social and political issues of his time. This portrait, with its careful attention to detail and realistic depiction of Mercier’s features, speaks to the broader cultural and institutional history of portraiture during this period. The French Revolution was a time of great social upheaval and change, and Mercier was one of many intellectuals who sought to understand and shape these changes. The politics of imagery were intense, with different factions vying for control of the visual representation of power and authority. To understand this print better, we can look at the archives from French literary societies and political organisations during the revolutionary years. The meaning of art is contingent on the social and institutional context in which it is created and received.