Portret van Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne 1820 - 1830

Hippolyte Prud'homme created this portrait of Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne as an engraving. Prud'homme lived through times of great social and political change in France following the French Revolution. Portraits such as this one often served to solidify the power and status of their subjects through very specific visual cues; here, the depicted Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne presents himself as a man of war. However, it is important to consider the role of the artist as a creator of these narratives. Prud'homme, as a man living in a society undergoing dramatic shifts in power and class, may have grappled with the tension between perpetuating established hierarchies and acknowledging new social dynamics. How do we interpret images of authority from the past? In this print, consider the sitter’s gaze and how it makes you feel.