Portret van de H. Idesbald

This is Bernard Picart’s print of Idesbald, made in 1714. The print depicts Idesbald van der Gracht, the 3rd abbot of the Dunes Abbey, who was beatified in 1894. The image presents us with a profile of Idesbald framed within an oval, itself surrounded by ornate architectural details. To the left is a herm figure draped with fur, while to the right, we see his mitre, a symbol of his office. The book and writing implements symbolize his learning and the importance of scripture. Picart was a French engraver who worked across Europe. In 1710, he moved to Amsterdam to escape the persecution of Protestants in France. Here, he found work producing book illustrations and single-sheet prints such as this. To understand this image more fully, historians would want to know about the changing reputation of Idesbald, about the order to which he belonged, and about the market for printed portraits in the Dutch Republic. All of these factors shape the meaning we might take from the image.