Dimensions: height 136 mm, width 236 mm, height 225 mm, width 300 mm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
Here is Robert Jefferson Bingham’s photogravure reproduction of Paul Delaroche’s painting of Cardinal Richelieu on the Rhône. This piece captures a historical and social tension of 19th-century Europe, specifically the relationship between aristocracy, power, and its performance. Delaroche's original painting presents Cardinal Richelieu, a figure of immense power in 17th-century France, in a moment of vulnerability. The scene is of him traveling by boat, seemingly weak or ill, challenging traditional representations of powerful men. Bingham’s reproduction allows wider audiences to engage with these themes, in a time when the printing press was changing media consumption. The act of reproducing this painting through photography introduces a new layer. Bingham was celebrated for his skill in portraiture but was also working within a medium that was democratizing art, shifting its accessibility beyond the elite. The emotional resonance lies in the subversion of power, made accessible through reproduction, inviting questions about how society views its leaders and the stories we tell about them.
Be the first to comment and join the conversation on the ultimate creative platform.