Jean Baptiste Tavernier 1688

Jacob d’Agar’s portrait of Jean Baptiste Tavernier captures the likeness of the 17th-century French gem merchant and traveler. Tavernier traversed extensive trade routes across Persia, India, and Southeast Asia. The portrait offers insight into the visual culture and social hierarchies of the time. Tavernier’s attire and accouterments, like the Order of the Cross of Saint Michael, signify his status as a celebrated figure in the French court, and reflect the complex interplay between European power and global trade during the colonial era. The gaze of the subject is weary, perhaps indicative of the personal cost for his professional success, achieved during a time of great change and often brutal colonial expansion. This portrait presents an opportunity to reflect on the complex, often troubled connections between personal identity, global exploration, and the socio-economic structures of the past.