Portret van de patriarch Ignatius Antonius I Samheri 1855

Zéphirin Belliard made this lithograph of Ignatius Antonius I Samheri, Patriarch of Antioch, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. It seems that Belliard was working in France at a time when that country was expanding its influence in the Middle East, building alliances with minority religious groups such as the Syriac Catholic Church, of which Ignatius Antonius was the leader. The lithograph allows us to understand the way in which the French saw this religious figure, including the intricate details of his vestments and beard, but also how the image could have been circulated among different audiences who were interested in this man, his church, and its relationship to France. To understand the image better, historians consult sources that include missionary archives, diplomatic correspondence, and publications by religious orders. The image takes on new meaning when viewed within this social and institutional context.