Portret van Georges René le Peley de Pléville 1835 - 1851

This is Antoine Maurin’s lithograph of Georges René le Peley de Pléville, created sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Lithography was a relatively new and affordable medium at the time, which allowed for wider distribution of images. The portrait is interesting for what it tells us about the evolving representation of power and status in post-revolutionary France. Pléville's elaborate military attire and composed demeanor are visual cues which were meant to communicate authority and nobility. However, the shift from aristocratic patronage to a more public sphere of art consumption meant that artists and their subjects had to negotiate new ways of asserting their social positions. Historical archives such as military records, genealogical databases, and period publications can provide valuable context to understand the social standing of people like Pléville and the ways in which artists like Maurin navigated the changing social landscape of 19th-century France. Only through close attention to the world outside the artwork can we understand its social meaning.