Portret van Anne-Louise-Christine de Foix de la Valette d'Epernon 1652 - 1707

Editor: So, here we have an engraving from sometime between 1652 and 1707, titled "Portret van Anne-Louise-Christine de Foix de la Valette d'Epernon," attributed to Gérard Edelinck. She seems very somber. How would you interpret this piece? Curator: Oh, she absolutely does. What I find captivating is how Edelinck captures a sense of profound interiority. The oval frame, almost like a locket, enshrines her devotion. Have you noticed how the text surrounding the image emphasizes her spiritual commitment, forsaking earthly riches? What does that evoke for you? Editor: It makes her seem almost inaccessible, a woman wholly dedicated to something beyond my comprehension, to the point where nothing worldly matters anymore. Curator: Precisely! It speaks to the Baroque era's fascination with intense emotion and spiritual experience. Think of Caravaggio's saints, caught in moments of ecstasy. But there’s also a certain detachment here. Look at her hands clasped in prayer – is it piety, resignation, or perhaps something more complex? Editor: I guess I hadn't considered resignation as a possibility. It adds a layer of complexity to the portrait. Curator: Exactly! It’s in that ambiguity that the art lives, doesn’t it? What do you make of the crisp detail of the engraving, then, against the very human look in her eye? Is there some contrast created between the public face and her personal emotion? Editor: That's fascinating. So, it's not just a simple portrait of a religious figure, but also a glimpse into the internal conflict of a woman who turned away from worldly possessions and riches? Curator: Perhaps. Or perhaps it’s a skillful representation of a specific ideal. Art invites questions more than it gives answers, right? I wonder, if you were to use this image in your master’s thesis, what themes would you explore? Editor: That's really given me a lot to think about; I appreciate how you got me to move past just seeing her piety, and now to consider all these different tensions within the work, and within the sitter, really. Thanks.