Marcellin Berthelot 1906

Anders Zorn created this print of Marcellin Berthelot using etching in the late 19th or early 20th century. Zorn, a Swede, made this portrait of the prominent French chemist in Paris, a European center for both scientific advancement and artistic innovation. Berthelot, an influential figure in synthesizing organic compounds, embodies the era's faith in science to better society. Considered as such, this print gains resonance. The etching technique, with its network of lines, mirrors the precision and structure Berthelot sought in chemistry. The relative ease and cheapness of this medium meant this image could be widely distributed. It could be seen to challenge painting, which was the traditional medium of portraiture, and which was often viewed as the domain of the upper classes. To fully understand this print, we might explore the scientific circles Berthelot inhabited or the artistic trends Zorn navigated. The study of such social and institutional contexts enriches our appreciation.