Portret van Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc 1696 - 1700

This is Jacques Lubin's portrait of Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, captured in an engraving. Lubin created this print in the 17th century, a time of rigid social hierarchies and burgeoning scientific inquiry. De Peiresc was a fascinating figure, a man of science and privilege. As a member of the French aristocracy, his intellectual pursuits were both enabled and shaped by his social standing. Notice the somber yet assured gaze, the attire of a scholar – these elements speak to the construction of identity during this period. Lubin's portrait offers a lens into the life of a man who straddled the worlds of nobility and the pursuit of knowledge. How does this portrait reflect the complex interplay between individual identity, social status, and the pursuit of knowledge during the 17th century?