During the Baroque period, the absolute monarch Louis XIV controlled French art. He used art as propaganda celebrating his own power and strength, invoking the drama of Baroque art for his own purposes. After his death, French aristocrats regained their power and freedom and French art entered the Rococo period. Aristocrats commissioned works that celebrated their luxurious and pleasurable lives. Paintings became less dramatic and more whimsical. Hyacinthe Rigaud’s Portrait of Louis XIV and François Boucher’s Portrait of Madame de Pompadour, exemplify these different styles and the difference in the interests of the time periods. Rigaud and Boucher’s compositions contain similar elements but convey different messages. Rigaud’s Portrait of …show more content…
Louis XIV is deliberately posed in his coronation robes with his scepter and crown off to the side, in front of a massive red curtain and a column. His robes and furniture are embroidered with fleurs de lis, another symbol of monarchy in France. It is a very obviously staged setting with objects carefully selected to convey Riguad’s. The crown, scepter, and robes are all symbols of Louis XIV’s monarchy. The heavy presence of gold, as well as the ermine lining of the robe, show off France’s wealth and therefore, the king’s power. Boucher’s setting is more casual and intimate. The room is somewhere Madame de Pompadour may actually relax, with comfortable furniture and personal objects in disarray, making it look lived-in. The setting looks less staged, but was still carefully designed. The writing table to her left and the book in her hand reveal her high level of education and identify Madame de Pompadour as an aristocratic woman of leisure. Her furniture and clothes look expensive and luxurious. All these details create a scene that appears to be directly out of Madame de Pompadour’s life. Boucher rejects the drama of Baroque art in favor of a painting that celebrates the everyday luxuries of aristocratic French …show more content…
Louis XIV was known as the sun king, connecting him to the ancient god Apollo. Rigaud subtly alludes to this comparison in his painting with the diagonal axes of the king’s robe and feet, which mimic the sun’s rays. The comparison to Apollo connected Louis XIV with godly power and emphasized his stability. Boucher’s comparison is less subtle. Boucher paints Madame de Pompadour in a dress adorned with roses and pearls. These, as well as the cupid by the clock, are symbols of the Venus, the Roman goddess of love. These references to Venus hint at Madame de Pompadour’s role as the king’s mistress, but also reveal Rococo artists’ interest in love and pleasure. The difference in these comparisons beautifully reflects the different interests of the two period. Connecting Louis XIV to the sun god reminds the viewer of his power and raises him to a divine level, whereas connecting Madame de Pompadour to Venus emphasizes the Rococo fixation on both lust and
King Louis XIV was very egotistic. Lisa Hilton explains, “he was of the opinion that he was pretty much a god himself.” He only dressed in the finest fabrics and was very conscious of his appearance. Fashion was of great importance to him. He started wearing a wig when his hair line started to recede. To make himself appear taller, he wore high heeled shoes. He ritualized his daily activities. Nobles would stand in line to help him get dressed, watch him eat, and help him get ready for
Document 1, 2, and 4 display the great power and majesty of Louis XIV during his reign. The painting in Document 1 portrays Louis XIV as Jupiter, king of the Roman gods. Artist Charles-Francois Poerson writes that “Now the world sees that a new Jupiter has arrived”, showing that once Louis had crushed the rebellious nobles after the Fronde, he had gained unchallenged authority in the central government and had become extremely powerful- akin to a god. Furthermore, this document ties into a defining characteristic of an absolute monarch: divine right monarchy. A common belief regarding absolute monarchs such as Louis XIV, purported by the monarchy and its supporters and accepted by the people, was that the king was given the right to rule directly from God.
Still, the negative aspects of France’s rule under King Louis XIV far outweigh the positive ones. His reign can best be described by the statement “L’état, c’est moi,” (I am the state) that is attributed to him. King Louis XIV spent state money to pay for his own luxuries and monuments that glorified his image. It was also customary for the artists King Louis XIV sponsored to include direct or indirect allusions to him in their productions thus creating a god-like image of him. The Palace of Versailles alone used 5% of France’s income. This liberal
Artwork, too, was just as divergent. Consider the Rococo masterpiece The Swing, by artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard. The delicate coiling of the tree branches, the ruffling of the fabric and lace on the subject’s dress, and the play of light and shadow in this painting of a woman on a swing in the forest are all visual hallmarks of the Rococo style. Again, contrast with a Neoclassic masterpiece Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David. This work, which shows
Who was King Henry VIII and who was King Louis XIV? How are they different and similar to each other? Well, one thing for sure, both of these rulers were Roman Catholics. Henry ruled England from 1491 to 1547 and Louis ruled France from 1643 to 1715. This essay analyzes the differences and the similarities between these two Roman Catholic kings. Henry VIII, compared to Louis XIV, was overall a ruthless monarch who wasn’t afraid to show off his greediness, abuse his power, or influence others with his clever political strategies. Louis XIV had the longest reign in European history (1643-1715). During this time he brought absolute monarchy to its height, established a huge and grand palace.
Louis XIV was a very generous spender. He put in large amounts of money to finance the royal court, and operated as a supporter of the arts, funding literary and cultural figures. He also kept his army in mind by building military complex known as the Hôtel des Invalides to give a home for officers and soldiers who had served him loyally in the army. The Hôtel des Invalides established new treatments frequently and set a new standard for the rather barbarous hospice treatment styles of the period. To support a Machiavellian tactic, Louis XIV didn?t have any mercenaries or auxiliaries, he controlled his own army, and was a self-sufficient ruler that didn?t rely on the help of others in battle.
During the 17th century when Louis XIV was king, French Society was ruled by his program of order through hierarchy and his minister Colbert economic policies of mercantilism. The French painting seems
Although Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great, brought death and destruction through his wars, there are many positive aspects of his reign, such as the creation of Versailles and the building of France’s national army. He did what had never been done before. He changed the lifestyle and the attitude of France by creating one of the most powerful monarchies ever to be built and at the same time, reassured all the nobility and other wealthy groups of their political and social standings. He made it clear that he was the final decision maker yet he still needed the help of the nobility and other authorities.
Some people think that King Louis XIV did more harm to France than good. They cite his lack of moderation in managing his money. They also point out that Louis denied religious liberties to the Protestants of France and tightened control over his Roman Catholic subjects by revoking the Edict of Nantes. They also claim Louis’ war efforts were very costly and drained the treasury of France. Some say his arrogance, including his emblem of the “Sun King”, turned “his” people away from him. They think that Louis only cared about himself and what he wanted and didn’t think about future France.
The reign of Louis XIV was the longest of the modern era, and during his time, France reached remarkable achievements in art and architecture, such as the Palace of Versailles. Louis XIV was responsible for creating the lavish complex that was filled with Baroque interiors and surrounded by French and English gardens. In its later years, it was further renovated for other kings then given to the Republic for public use. Through its elaborate ornamentation and massive scale, the Palace of Versailles represents the glory of the Sun King and expresses the power of the French monarchy.
The nature of the French absolutist state was such that it did not limit the king by laws or rules dictated by the parlement or any of its representative bodies. It’s based on a belief of the divine right of kings, and Louis XIV takes this to heart in adopting the name the Sun King. The king did everything within his capabilities to exude power and control, by commissioning massive elegant portraits of himself, as well as constructing
When at the Legion of Honor, we as a group came across a painting known as “The Pâté” which was completed by French artist John Baptiste Oudry in 1743. Some quick dimensions of the painting include, 69 3/4 x 49 (177.2 x 124.5 cm) being a rather average size painting in that century in that geographical location. The artist John Baptiste Oudry was a well known Rococo painter, tapestry designer as well as illustrator. Most of his praised work was centered around hunted game or animals in well forested landscapes. He attended the French Royal academy and towards the later end of his life was made head of the Beauvais tapestry. The painting which is a trompe-l 'œil, which literally translates to “fools the eye” was made during a time of economic and cultural prosperity in France and most parts of Europe. Under the reign of Louis XV we see acquisition of new land by France and relative economic strength at the populous level. This is also a times of artistic prosperity and freedom with the vast amount of academies and schools available to the population (nominally the rich, educated, particularly skilled). However, the only evidence of societal influence we see in this art piece is the French Royal insignia, on the mixing bowl that symbolizes French society and strength
Bonheur was an important figure in women’s right; she herself reflects the social movement for women. She was a women that didn’t let society’s standards keep her down; she worked hard to build her career. Bonheur was the first woman in France to get a permit to wear pants.1 The police’s reasoning for allowing Rosa this permit was because of health, and her doctor co-signed the permit.1 The slaughterhouses and fairgrounds would dirty her dresses thus it was impractical for her to wear a dress. Bonheur was smart she knew what wearing pants would do to her career.1 She knew buyers would not purchase paintings that came from a woman who wore pants, so Bonheur would wear dresses to social events.
Louis proved willing to pay the price of being a strong ruler . He established a consci entious routine from which he seldom deviated, but he did not look upon his duties as drudgery since he judged his royal profession to be "grand, noble, and delightful." Eager for glory, Louis created a grand and majestic spec tacle at the court of Versailles (see Daily Life at the Court of Versailles later in the chapter). Consequently, Louis and his court came to set the standard for monar chies and aristocracies all over Europe. Less than fifty years after his death, the great French writer Voltaire used the title "Age of Louis XIV" to describe his history of Europe
Day-to-day life in the palace you would wake early in the morning before Louis XIV woke up to see him was up. If you were Louis XIV you would wake up to all your servants watching you. The man with the highest rank of nobility would hand the king his shirt. Reason why they watch him wake up is because they consider him as the Sun King and they want to see the “sun rise”. Another reason he is the Sun King is that everyone revolves around him like the sun in our solar system. People did many things in the Palace like dancing, hunting, and playing cards. Though I am pretty sure they always let him win. Also he would take many walks in the garden everyday with his servants. Everyday his cloths would get fancier and fancier as well as a haircut also a shave everyday. Each of the salons was name after each of the seven known planets in our solar system. There was also a grand theater that all the aristocrats would go to and watch Louis XIV perform.