Portret van Henri François d'Aguesseau before 1829

Michel Delaporte created this portrait of Henri François d'Aguesseau as an engraving. D'Aguesseau, the Chancellor of France, is depicted here wearing the garb of his high office. Consider the codes of representation at play, from his elaborate wig to his stern expression. What do these visual signals communicate about power and status in 18th-century France? Delaporte’s work is, in a sense, a piece of political communication. The image reinforces the authority of the French state and its leading officials. To get a better understanding of this portrait’s meaning, we might research the history of the French Chancellorship, the system of aristocratic patronage at the time, and the role of printed images in shaping public opinion. Art historians help to reveal these sorts of social and institutional contexts, enabling us to see the politics of imagery more clearly.