A Life Dedicated to Portraiture and the Vanitas Tradition Simon Renard de Saint André, a name resonating softly through the annals of 17th-century French painting, occupies an intriguing space between established portraiture and the burgeoning symbolic depth of *Vanitas* still life. Born in Paris in 1613, he initially rose to prominence as a skilled portraitist—a profession that afforded him considerable recognition during his lifetime. He wasn’t merely documenting likenesses; Renard sought to capture character, status, and perhaps even a hint of the sitter's inner world, establishing himsel…