Portret van Michelangelo 1837 - 1857

Jean Adolphe Papin made this print, ‘Portret van Michelangelo’ sometime in the 19th century. It captures the famed Renaissance artist Michelangelo. The print is an idealized image, meant to portray Michelangelo as a genius, and a titan of art history. Now, what interests me is the politics of this image. Consider, who is the intended audience? Likely, it’s students at an art academy. In 19th century France, the Académie des Beaux-Arts set the standard for painting and sculpture. This image, then, serves as a didactic tool. It presents the artistic genius of the past as an example for future artists to emulate. But by idealizing Michelangelo, does it encourage true innovation, or simply reinforce the Academy’s conservative standards? To fully understand this print, one would need to study the institutional history of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Only then can we understand the social conditions that shaped its artistic production.