Portret van Pierre Jeannin 1755 - 1765

Editor: We are looking at the "Portret van Pierre Jeannin", an engraving made between 1755 and 1765 by Jacques Nicolas Tardieu. It's a portrait, and the old-timey style gives it a very serious mood. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This portrait invites us to consider the construction of power and historical memory. The subject, Pierre Jeannin, was an influential figure, and the very act of creating and disseminating his image serves a purpose. Think about the role portraits played in solidifying status during this period. Editor: So it's more than just a likeness? Curator: Precisely. It’s about presenting a specific narrative. Look at the details: the formal attire, the inscription. These elements contribute to the construction of Jeannin as a figure of authority and importance. What is being conveyed to the public through the creation and distribution of this print? What’s absent from the story this image tells? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn't thought about it as actively constructing an image for the public, rather than passively representing it. So you’re saying even in an engraving like this, there are political undertones? Curator: Absolutely. Art, especially portraiture of powerful figures, rarely exists in a vacuum. Examining the historical context and the artist's choices allows us to decode the messages being transmitted and whose voices might be excluded or silenced by such portrayals. We are not just seeing a man, we are encountering a deliberate act of historical self-fashioning through an intersectional lens. Editor: I learned so much about portraiture in the baroque era, this piece prompts me to consider how images uphold power structures. Curator: Indeed, it reminds us to question the narratives presented to us, both then and now.