Gezicht op de oude ophaalbrug voor het kasteel van Tanlay 1631 - 1661

Israel Silvestre made this print of the old drawbridge in front of the Chateau de Tanlay. The print was made sometime in the latter half of the 17th century. Silvestre, born in Nancy, was a prolific printmaker who specialized in topographical views of French cities and architecture. We can read this image as a window into the social and cultural values of France under Louis XIV, where country estates became potent symbols of power. This was a time when the aristocracy consolidated its authority and deployed its wealth in architectural projects. Silvestre’s detailed rendering of the Chateau, combined with the Latin inscription ‘Israel ex.’ suggests a desire to document and disseminate the image of the Chateau to a wider audience. The print becomes an advertisement for the owner of the Chateau, and for Silvestre himself as a skilled and in-demand printmaker. By studying prints like these, alongside estate records, correspondence, and architectural plans, we can better understand the complex interplay between art, power, and social life in early modern France.