Portret van René Duguay-Trouin 1836

Antoine Maurin created this portrait of René Duguay-Trouin with lithography in the 19th century. Maurin was working at a time of revolution in France, when the artistic institutions of the old regime were crumbling, and new ways of representing power were being forged. Duguay-Trouin was a famous privateer during the reign of Louis XIV, who profited by raiding enemy ships. Here, he is rendered with a knowing look, and his wig and finery signal his aristocratic status. This image promotes the glamour of old world piracy and channels it to new political ends. To understand this print, the historian might ask, what was it about the idea of piracy that appealed to Maurin's contemporaries? Archival research into popular culture may well offer some answers. Ultimately, this print reminds us that the images we make always reveal something about the values of their own time.