Portret van Paul Henri Marron 1786

Pieter Hendrik Jonxis made this print of Paul Henri Marron using etching and burin. Marron was a French Protestant minister, and this portrait likely commemorates his service to the church. Consider the setting: the late 18th century, a time of intellectual ferment and challenges to traditional authority. The print embodies the visual codes of the Enlightenment, emphasizing reason and order. Marron’s gaze is direct, and the Latin inscription below speaks of virtue and dedication. But look closer: the very act of creating and disseminating this image suggests a subtle critique of the established social order. To fully understand this print, we might consult church records, biographical accounts of Marron, and studies of religious life in the 18th century. Only then can we appreciate how this image functions as a historical document, reflecting the complex interplay between individual identity and institutional power.