Louis de Marillac, Duke of Beaufort 

Michel Lasne made this print of Louis de Marillac, Duke of Beaufort, in France, sometime in the mid-17th century. It's an engraving, which means the image was carved into a metal plate, inked, and then printed onto paper. Prints like this were crucial for circulating images of power. Note the Duke's elaborate lace collar and armor, visual signifiers of his status and military role. Consider how printmaking itself was developing at the time, with workshops and distribution networks evolving to meet the demand for such imagery. It's also worth thinking about the institutions that fostered artistic production, such as the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, which aimed to standardize artistic training and taste. To truly understand this print, we need to delve into the social and political context of 17th-century France. Scholarly resources like period documents and art historical texts can reveal how images like these shaped perceptions of power and identity. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.