Visitekaartje van boekhandelaar Jacques François Quillau 1761

Augustin de Saint-Aubin created this business card for the bookseller Jacques François Quillau in France. The image offers us a peek into the world of eighteenth-century book culture. The central image features Quillau’s name displayed on a draped banner, a common visual trope of the time meant to convey prestige. Below, we see allegorical figures surrounded by stacks of books, suggesting the trade of knowledge and enlightenment. The books themselves are more than simple merchandise. During this period, books were powerful tools for spreading ideas, influencing public opinion, and even challenging established social norms. To understand this business card fully, we need to consider the social and political context of the Enlightenment. Booksellers like Quillau played a crucial role in circulating texts that spurred intellectual debates and contributed to revolutionary sentiments. By studying prints like this, along with archival records, we can begin to understand the complex relationship between art, commerce, and intellectual life in eighteenth-century France.