Portret van Benjamin de Brissac 1745

Pieter Tanjé created this print, “Portret van Benjamin de Brissac,” sometime in the 18th century. It depicts Benjamin de Brissac, a pastor, within an oval frame inscribed with his name and title. Prints like this were often commissioned by or for the sitter and were intended for circulation among a specific public. Here, the trappings of status are rendered visible: the voluminous wig, the clerical collar, the formal if not severe demeanor. The inscription lauds Brissac's virtue, kindness, and respectable doctrine. Yet, what does it mean to be virtuous and kind within a religious doctrine that might exclude or condemn others? How do such representational projects buttress the power of some while simultaneously rendering others invisible? This portrait invites us to consider the complex intersections of religious identity, social status, and the politics of representation in 18th-century Dutch society.