Portret van Louis Auguste de Bourbon, hertog van Maine 1696 - 1777

This is an undated portrait of Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Duke of Maine, an engraving of modest size, held at the Rijksmuseum. The Duke is presented within an oval frame, itself set above a plinth bearing his name. Look at how the composition is structured: the subject's armor and sash are rendered with fine lines, which lend a subtle texture, setting him off from the smoother, geometrically regular frame. This oval form disrupts the surrounding rectilinear structure, creating a visual tension that enlivens the portrait. Consider this tension as not merely aesthetic but also symbolic. The oval, a shape without clear beginning or end, introduces a sense of continuous becoming, challenging the fixed identity typically conveyed in portraiture. The subject's gaze meets ours, suggesting a dialogue, an invitation to reconsider the rigid codes of representation. In this way, the artist destabilizes conventional portraiture through a dynamic interplay of form, inviting us to reflect on the fluid nature of identity.