Hoofd van Julius Caesar met lauwerkrans Possibly 1895 - 1898

Georges d'Espagnat made this head of Julius Caesar with laurel wreath as a woodcut print. D'Espagnat was a French post-Impressionist painter, and this image shows his interest in history and the classical tradition. Woodcut, as a medium, has a long history of use as a means of circulating political imagery, it was comparatively cheap and easy to produce. Here, the use of stark black and white creates a bold and powerful image, which helps to convey the strength and authority associated with Caesar. During d'Espagnat's life, France was dealing with the legacy of its own imperial ambitions, and the figure of Caesar would have been a potent symbol of military power and political leadership. The Rijksmuseum, as an institution, plays a role in shaping our understanding of history and culture. The study of history is essential to understanding not only this image but also the values and beliefs of the time in which it was made, and it reveals the ways in which artists engage with and respond to their world.