Man in tricorn hat and overcoat, shown in frontal view and holding a staff with a winding vine, landscape with trees beyond 1710 - 1739

Louis Desplaces made this print of an actor in costume in France, probably in the early 18th century. He used etching, a printmaking technique favored for its ability to capture fine details and textures. The image depicts an actor named Dumirail, dressed "in the costume of a peasant," holding a staff entwined with vines. The "peasant" attire is of course a theatrical confection, likely referencing the pastoral themes popular in French courtly entertainment. The print was made during a period of rigid social hierarchy, where clothing served as a powerful marker of status. This image blurs these lines within the context of theater, allowing for a temporary transgression of social norms. The print itself would have circulated within a specific cultural sphere, perhaps among theater enthusiasts or collectors of prints. As historians, we can consult playbills, costume designs, and other period documents to reconstruct the original context of this image and better understand its meaning. Art like this becomes a valuable window onto the social and institutional life of the past.