Portret van François-Vincent Raspail 1848

This is Alphonse Farcy’s lithographic portrait of François-Vincent Raspail. Raspail was a French scientist, physician, and politician, active during a period of immense social upheaval and political transformation in France. This portrait captures Raspail at the height of his influence; he is portrayed in a manner that reinforces the idea of the bourgeois intellectual. His clothing is neat but unfussy, and his gaze is direct and confident. The use of lithography as a medium made such images accessible to a broad public, contributing to the cult of personality around figures like Raspail. Portraits like this one were a key tool in shaping public perceptions and solidifying political identities. They tell us a great deal about the social conditions that shaped artistic production, and the intersection of art, politics, and public life in 19th century France. To understand them better, historians turn to sources from the era, like political pamphlets, newspapers, and personal correspondence. Only then can we understand art as a product of social and institutional forces.