Portret van Louis-Nicolas Davout 1808 - 1868

This is Carl Mayer’s portrait of Louis-Nicolas Davout, made sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Mayer made the print using the technique of etching. Davout was a prominent military commander during the Napoleonic era in France. The portrait reflects the social and political context of 19th-century Europe, a time marked by revolution, war, and the rise of nationalism. The image creates meaning through visual codes of power and authority, depicting Davout in his military attire. To understand this image better, we might turn to resources from the institutional history of the French military. We could also look at biographies of Davout and studies of the Napoleonic era. By examining these historical materials, we can better understand the meaning of art as something that is contingent on social and institutional context.