14 - [LE NOBLETZ (Michel) & HUBY (Vincent), after]. [Twelve Mirrors of Man’s Principal Virtues and Vices.] Paris, published by Jacques Chiquet, Rue Saint-Jacques, [late 17th/early 18th century]. Set of 10 copper engravings (out of 12), hand-colored at the time, dimensions approx. 300 x 200 mm at the edge. Several plates bear Chiquet’s address on Rue Saint-Jacques. No title page. Tears and marginal damage (including significant losses in the margins of the last plate and minor damage to the engraving), foxing, stains, and soiling; original colors generally well preserved.

[LE NOBLETZ (Michel) & HUBY (Vincent), after]. [Twelve Mirrors of Man’s Principal Virtues and Vices.] Paris, published by Jacques Chiquet, Rue Saint-Jacques, [late 17th/early 18th century]. Set of 10 copper engravings (out of 12), hand-colored at the time, dimensions approx. 300 x 200 mm at the edge. Several plates bear Chiquet’s address on Rue Saint-Jacques. No title page. Tears and marginal damage (including significant losses in the margins of the last plate and minor damage to the engraving), foxing, stains, and soiling; original colors generally well preserved. A very rare series of allegorical moral and religious engravings, illustrating the various states of the soul, in the tradition of Breton mission paintings. These spectacular compositions belong to the tradition of the “Mirrors of the Heart,” moral images intended to make visible the struggles of the soul, the dangers of sin, and the paths to salvation. They are part of the continuation of the methods of religious instruction through images developed in Brittany in the 17th century, notably by the missionary Michel Le Nobletz (1577–1652). Born in Plouguerneau, in the Léon region, Le Nobletz devoted his life to evangelizing the people of Lower Brittany, particularly rural and coastal communities. After traveling through Léon, Trégor, and Cornouaille, he settled in Douarnenez in 1617, where he continued his preaching ministry for more than twenty years before ending his life in Le Conquet. A distinctive figure in the Breton Catholic Reformation, he developed a teaching method based on the use of large, painted allegorical maps—precursors to the *taolennou* or mission paintings. Created in particular with the assistance of cartographers from Le Conquet, these images combined human figures, symbolic animals, and familiar objects to make religious teachings accessible to populations often unfamiliar with the written word. Accompanied by oral commentary in the Breton language, they served to explain Christian virtues, the temptations of the world, and the paths to salvation. It was in the spirit of this tradition that the Jesuit priest Vincent Huby (1608–1693), founder of spiritual retreat houses, conceived in the second half of the 17th century a series of twelve “Mirrors of the Heart,” also inspired by the medieval “Arts of Dying” and “Mirrors of the Sinner.” Eight compositions depict the various stages of the spiritual life, from temptation and sin to repentance and the state of grace; four others illustrate the deaths of the sinner and the righteous and their destinies in the afterlife. The human heart serves as the setting for these allegories: demons and animals symbolizing the deadly sins (the peacock of pride, the goat of lust, the pig of gluttony, the serpent of envy, the lion of wrath) confront the manifestations of divine grace. The cross, the instruments of the Passion, the angels, and the dove of the Holy Spirit gradually replace the figures of vice and evil. The ten plates preserved here illustrate several stages of this spiritual journey, from the heart dominated by the devil to its purification through attrition, contrition, and devotion. Other compositions depict the crucified Christ at the center of the heart, surrounded by the instruments of his Passion, or evoke a good death and the salvation of souls. Each engraving is accompanied by a lengthy explanatory commentary that helps decipher the numerous symbols and draw a moral lesson from them. Originally intended to accompany retreats inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, these images became widely disseminated. Reproduced as engravings or large paintings with commentary presented to the faithful, they were notably used during popular missions in western France, particularly in Brittany, where they continued the tradition of the *taolennou*. Their influence continued for nearly three centuries, extending as far as Central Europe and the foreign missions. This series features, on several plates, the address of the Parisian engraver and publisher Jacques Chiquet (c. 1673–1721), who was based on Rue Saint-Jacques. Chiquet had worked with François Jollain before setting up his own business. This professional connection is particularly interesting, as the Bibliothèque nationale de France acquired in 1990 a complete set of the twelve engravings, published by François-Gérard Jollain, described as an exceptional collection of religious works inspired by Michel Le Nobletz. Another print in this tradition, titled “Miroir de la pécheresse” and bearing Chiquet’s signature, is housed at the Mucem (inv. 1977.4.37). Despite the absence of two plates, this collection constitutes a rare and valuable testament to the artist’s work.