René Descartes 

This is Jacques Lubin's engraving of René Descartes. Here, Lubin masterfully uses line and form to present a complex portrait within a tightly structured composition. The oval frame, a series of concentric lines, immediately draws the eye to Descartes' face. Notice how the fine, precise lines create a sense of depth and texture, particularly in the rendering of Descartes' hair and the folds of his clothing. The engraving technique itself—the deliberate scoring of the plate—becomes part of the artwork's meaning. Below, a heraldic shield sits symmetrically between Descartes’s first and last names, grounding the figure within established systems of identity and representation. The structure of the image invites us to consider the relationship between the individual and the systems that define him. Lubin's print is not merely a likeness but an interpretation, inviting us to think critically about how images shape our understanding.