Chancelier Pierre Séguier, Duc de Villemor et de Saint-Liébaut, Comte de Gien, etc. 1661

Editor: This is Robert Nanteuil's portrait of "Chancelier Pierre Séguier." The details are incredible for a print! What do you make of Séguier’s portrayal? Curator: Note the oval frame and the Latin inscription, a very deliberate choice. Consider the coat of arms below. These are all symbols of authority and lineage, meant to project Séguier's power and status. But what emotions do you sense in his face? Editor: He looks…wary, maybe? Not as self-assured as I’d expect. Curator: Perhaps Nanteuil was capturing a more complex truth? Power is a performance, after all, not an intrinsic quality. The symbols speak of authority, but the face hints at the burden of wielding it. Editor: It's fascinating how the artist uses symbols to both create and subtly question the image of power. Curator: Exactly. These images speak volumes, if you know how to listen.