Portrait of Simon-Nicolas-Henri Linguet 1773

Augustin de Saint-Aubin’s Portrait of Simon-Nicolas-Henri Linguet is an engraving on laid paper, a process involving considerable hand skill. The laid paper itself has a noticeable texture, created by the wire mesh used in its production. The artist then cut into a metal plate, transferring the image to paper through an intense, physical process. Look closely, and you can see the incredible detail achieved with this method. This wasn’t just reproduction; it was a skilled practice in its own right. Engraving like this was the print media of its day, and this portrait speaks volumes about the culture of celebrity and intellectual life in 18th-century France. Simon-Nicolas-Henri Linguet was a controversial figure, a lawyer and writer known for his critiques of the legal system and his advocacy for the poor. The books surrounding Linguet allude to his profession as a writer and intellectual. Considering the labor and skill involved in creating this engraving reminds us that even seemingly mass-produced images have a deep connection to the hand and to the social context in which they were made.