Portrait of Jean Antoine Nollet 1750 - 1795

Jacques Firmin Beauvarlet created this print of Jean Antoine Nollet in France in the late 18th century. It is made from engraving on laid paper. Nollet was a prominent clergyman and physicist, known for his experiments with electricity. But this image is not just a record of his likeness, it's a statement about the social order of the time. Note how Nollet is presented: wigged, and formally attired, he embodies the authority of the church and the scientific establishment. This image would have circulated among a specific social class, reinforcing their shared values and status. To fully understand this print, we need to consider the culture of 18th-century France, the role of the Church, and the rise of scientific societies. We can look at publications and other works from the period. By placing art in its social and institutional context, we begin to see its true meaning.