Portret van Joachim de Montaigu-Fromigieres 1600 - 1667

This is Michel Lasne’s portrait of Frere Joachim de Montaigu-Fromigieres, made using engraving techniques. The portrait gives us insight into the hierarchical society of 17th century France, as well as the institutions that produced it. Lasne was a printmaker for the French Royal family, and this portrait served as a means of publicizing Joachim's status, which is carefully communicated through visual codes. Joachim is dressed in elaborate clothing with an oversized ruff, connoting his nobility. The cross around his neck indicates membership in the Knights of Malta, a Catholic military order. The inscription below the portrait describes his honorific posts. This portrait is not just an image of an individual, but also a statement about the social order of the time. Historians can unpack the complex interplay of status, religion, and political power embedded in the image by using resources like aristocratic records, guild archives and religious documents. The portrait invites us to consider the public role of art in reinforcing social hierarchies.