Portret van Jean-Baptiste Jourdan 1823

This is an 1820s print by Auguste Toussaint Lecler, depicting Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, a Count and Marshal in the French army. Consider how this image participates in the making of a military hero. France at this time was in a period of Restoration, after the Napoleonic era. The aristocracy was trying to re-establish itself after the French revolution, but the collective memory of the Republic and the Empire remained strong, particularly in popular imagery. The visual codes here are important. Jourdan's military uniform and decorations signal his rank and achievements. The print was made in Paris and available for purchase, suggesting an attempt to solidify the image of military leaders in the public consciousness. As art historians, we can research the biographies of both the sitter and the artist, along with the distribution of such prints. What was the public role of art? Here, the politics of imagery clearly intersect with the social conditions of artistic production.