Portret van Geoffrey de Donjon 1726

This portrait of Geoffrey de Donjon was created by Laurent Cars in France, most likely in the early 1700s. Cars worked as an engraver, reproducing paintings and creating portraits such as this one. This image is highly conventional. Geoffrey de Donjon is presented as a noble and respected figure. The Latin inscription that surrounds the central image emphasizes his status as a leader – a Grand Master, even. Below the portrait, we see a crest containing a cross, which alludes to his religious background. Religious institutions were still powerful forces in early modern Europe, so it is little surprise that Cars presents Geoffrey de Donjon with such reverence. To better understand this image, we might research the life and times of Geoffrey de Donjon, looking at his biography, as well as historical accounts of the religious order to which he belonged. This would help to better understand the social and institutional context for this portrait.