Portrait of Jean Honoré Fragonard 1808

This is Charles Louis François Le Carpentier’s portrait of Jean-Honoré Fragonard. It captures the great artist framed within a circle of foliage, a symbolic gesture rooted in classical traditions. Think of the ancient Roman practice of portraying emperors within laurel wreaths, symbols of triumph and eternal glory. Here, the wreath of foliage serves a similar purpose, immortalizing Fragonard within the artistic canon. This motif transcends time, appearing in Renaissance paintings to 19th-century photography, each time bestowing honor upon the subject. It is intriguing how these symbols evolve. The laurel wreath, once a marker of military victory, has softened into a more general emblem of artistic and intellectual achievement. Through the collective memory, these visual cues have taken on their own power, subconsciously associating the subject with greatness. Such symbols resonate deeply, engaging viewers across centuries, a testament to their enduring cultural and psychological power.