Portret van arts Guillaume Dupuytren 1828 - 1838

Antoine Maurin made this print of Doctor Guillaume Dupuytren using lithography. Lithography was a relatively new medium in France at this time, and it made images more widely accessible. Dupuytren was a celebrated surgeon in France during the Restoration. After the revolution, France struggled to rebuild its institutions, including its hospitals and medical schools. This portrait of Dupuytren gives us insight into the values of that society, and what kinds of people they chose to celebrate. The image gives us a sense of the rise of a meritocracy that valued the talents of individuals regardless of their family name. Dupuytren was well-known for his work with the poor of Paris, and he eventually became the personal physician to Charles X. To understand this image better, historians consult archives of medical institutions and publications of the time. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.