Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon 1759

Curator: This is Étienne Ficquet's print of Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has such a quiet dignity, doesn't it? The delicate lines create a sense of reserved power. Curator: Indeed. The oval frame, adorned with ornamentation, encloses her figure, creating a sense of self-containment. The linear precision directs the gaze. Editor: The book she holds feels significant. Knowledge, piety, perhaps even political power are subtly suggested by this symbol. Curator: Precisely, she was the second wife of Louis XIV, so that might explain the imagery. Ficquet's engraving exemplifies how portraits functioned as disseminators of power and influence in the 18th century. Editor: It’s fascinating how a single image can condense so much historical and emotional weight.