Portret van Jean Pitard 1820 - 1828

Ambroise Tardieu produced this print of Jean Pitard sometime in the early 19th century. As an image of a surgeon who lived five centuries earlier, it reflects the 19th century’s fascination with its national history and with the origins of its institutions. The print presents Pitard in the guise of a founding father. The text on the print emphasizes Pitard’s role as founder of the College de Chirurgie, marking him as an important figure in the history of French medicine. The visual style of the print reinforces this idea. He is shown in a style that evokes early Renaissance portraiture, linking him to the cultural prestige of the Italian Renaissance. This idealizes Pitard, who in reality lived during the late Middle Ages. Studying prints like this one, along with institutional records and other historical documents, we can understand the ways in which national and professional identities have been constructed in France and elsewhere.