Portret van Pierre de Bérulle 1661

Nicolas de Plattemontagne made this engraving of Pierre de Bérulle, a French cardinal, sometime between 1631 and 1706. Note how the inscription around the oval of the image elevates him. It emphasizes his status as a cardinal and founder of the French branch of the Oratorian religious order. Seventeenth-century France was a society deeply shaped by religious institutions, so this image broadcasts Bérulle’s power to a wide audience. Engravings like this one were relatively cheap and easily reproducible, they were a key tool for spreading ideas and enhancing reputations in the public sphere. Consider how the print’s visual language bolsters the authority of its subject through symbolic cues. To understand this portrait further, historians examine period documents, religious writings, and institutional records. These sources illuminate how individuals like Bérulle navigated the complex web of social, religious, and political forces of their time, shaping not only their own identities but also the very fabric of society.