Portret van Claude Thuet 1643

Michel Lasne created this engraving of Claude Thuet, a theology professor in Paris, sometime in the first half of the 17th century. While portraits like this one might seem straightforward, they can tell us a great deal about the social and institutional life of their time. Thuet’s garb marks him as a member of the clergy. This image would likely have been commissioned to commemorate his achievements, or promote the theological college where he worked. Engravings like this were relatively cheap to produce and circulate. They served as an important form of publicity for individuals and institutions hoping to bolster their reputations. Consider the setting of the print: its original owner may have encountered it in a book, archive, or private collection. As historians, we can study these images, and others like them, in the context of wider social and cultural developments by using resources such as archives, inventories, and printed books. In doing so, we can begin to understand the ways in which early modern institutions shaped the production and reception of art.