Portret van Henri Coiffier de Ruzé 1614 - 1756

This is Pierre Daret’s portrait of Henri Coiffier de Ruzé, made using etching and located at the Rijksmuseum. Daret, a product of 17th-century France, operated within a society deeply stratified by class and defined by its royal court. Ruzé, as Marquis de Cinq-Mars, embodied the privileges and expectations of the aristocracy. Etchings like this were crucial in shaping and disseminating images of power. Consider how Ruzé is presented, with careful attention to his clothing, his hair, and the faint smirk playing on his lips, these portraits were instrumental in constructing and reinforcing the visual language of status. Yet, Ruzé’s story is also one of ambition and downfall. “I have braved everything to serve the King,” he purportedly said before his execution for conspiring against Cardinal Richelieu. In viewing this portrait, we are invited to consider not only the individual but also the complex interplay of power, identity, and representation within the historical and cultural moment. It reflects societal structures while also hinting at personal narratives of ambition.