1.7 Conclusion
This orientative study of the Portrait of Joseph-Charles De Meulemeester, with its precise list of 51 names and dates, has proved to be a highly interesting source for understanding the extensive network of ‘Belgian’ artists and art lovers active in Rome during the French period. The careers and output of most of these artists are little known, mainly - but not only - in the circle around Joseph Suvée, and the study of their lives and works offers broad prospects for further research. Attention was also paid to the work of the sitter as an engraver of luxurious reproductions of the world-renowned ‘Raphael Bible’, a series of frescoes that adorn the loggia of the Vatican. Finally, the ‘movable ladder’ was highlighted, not only as a working instrument to facilitate studying and copying the frescoes, but also as a possible tool to attract attention, as well as a promotional device for the project.