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Secondary sourcePaintingafter 1753

Charles Montesquieu

After Jacques-Antoine Dassier · after 1753

A profile portrait of Montesquieu derived from a 1753 medal made from life.

A likeness of Montesquieu himself, based on one of the few portraits made from life.

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Painted profile portrait of an older man with a large aquiline nose, receding grey hair pulled back, and a golden-brown drape over his shoulders, set against a grey-green background. This is a painting, not a print.
After Jacques-Antoine Dassier, Charles Montesquieu, portrait derived from a 1753 medal.

About this source

What it is

This painted profile portrait shows Montesquieu as an older man, based on a medal made by Jacques-Antoine Dassier in 1753, two years before the philosopher's death.

Why it matters

Because it derives from a medal made from life, this image is one of the more reliable records of what Montesquieu actually looked like in his later years, shown in the Roman-style profile fashionable for commemorative portraits of important thinkers at the time.

Look closer

  • Why might an artist choose a Roman-style profile to portray a philosopher?
  • What can you tell about the sitter's age and status from his clothing and pose?
  • How might a portrait based on a medal differ from one painted directly from life?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Baron de Montesquieu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of the first volume of De l'Esprit des loix, printed in Geneva by Barrillot & Fils. Large title in capitals, a decorative emblem with a column and the motto 'EX RECTO DECUS', and handwritten marginal notes in brown ink at top.Book

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The Spirit of the Laws

Montesquieu · 1748

Title page of a book reading 'LETTRES PERSANES, TOME I', with a central decorative floral ornament, and the imprint 'A COLOGNE, Chez Pierre Marteau, Imprimeur-Libraire, près le Collège des Jésuites' and date 'M. DCC. LIV.'Book

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Persian Letters

Montesquieu · 1721

De l'esprit des loix (volume III), Amsterdam and Leipzig, 1759Book

Primary source

De l'esprit des loix (volume III), Amsterdam and Leipzig, 1759

Montesquieu · 1759

Title page of a French book: 'Montesquieu. Considérations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romains et de leur décadence', with an introduction and notes by L. Petit de Julleville, huitième édition, published in Paris by Librairie Ch. Delagrave.Book

Primary source

Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and their Decline

Montesquieu · 1734

Title page of the first volume of De l'Esprit des loix, printed in Geneva by Barillot & Fils. Large capitals read DE L'ESPRIT DES LOIX, followed by a subtitle in smaller type, a rule, and TOME PREMIER at the bottom.Document

Primary source

De l'Esprit des loix, Volume 1, Title Page

Montesquieu · 1748-1750

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