Jacques Tuboeuf, Comptroller of Finances c. 1640

Curator: Jean Morin, born in the early 17th century, created this engraving of Jacques Tuboeuf. I'm struck by the inscription framing the portrait. Editor: It feels like a monument—the stern face, the heavy clothing, all contained within that geometric border. It breathes authority. Curator: The text identifies Tuboeuf as "Comptroller of Finances," a role of significant power. Notice how Morin used the lettering itself to amplify the subject's stature. The choice of typeface, the placement of the words—it all conveys stability and importance. Editor: Stability at what cost? In my view, these images served to legitimize figures within deeply unequal power structures. He’s memorialized, but who isn’t? Curator: An interesting point. It prompts us to question whose stories get told, and how symbols of power are perpetuated through portraiture. Editor: Exactly. It all invites a much-needed conversation.