Portrait of a Man with Blue Sash 

Claude Déruet painted this portrait of a man with a blue sash sometime in the early 17th century. The sitter’s expensive clothing and proud bearing speak to the rigid hierarchies of the era. The blue sash and lace collar were likely indicators of nobility, class, and power. It's impossible to look at such an image without thinking about how the performance of masculinity—the beard, the controlled gaze—served to reinforce social status. Yet, what might it have cost this man to inhabit such a role? What emotions were suppressed in order to maintain this carefully constructed image? Déruet’s portrait provides insight into the ways in which identity, status, and the prevailing social norms intersect in early modern Europe. It serves as a reminder of both the privileges and the constraints imposed by history.