Although we feel we know d’Artagnan’s face, no known or historically verified portrait of the Musketeer exists. An inventory made after the death of his brother-in-law mentions a portrait that has since been lost.
Charles de Batz was not a prominent public figure like a King or a great noble, making it unlikely that an official portrait was commissioned or circulated at court. In the 17th century only members of the high nobility and clergy or notable intellectual and artistic figures were regularly painted. D’Artagnan, belonging to a lesser Gascon nobility, would not have prioritized such an expensive luxury.
It was Courtilz de Sandras and later Dumas who popularized the character. Their literary success came after d’Artagnan’s death, at a time when no one had thought to preserve or celebrate his image. The strong association between the fictional character and the historical man has further blurred the lines between fact and fiction.
Moreover, the absence of a known burial site for his body adds to the romantic and legendary aura surrounding the Musketeer.
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