Militaire parade 1662

Israel Silvestre made this print of a military parade with etching in the 17th century. Silvestre was one of the most important printmakers in France during the reign of Louis XIV, and he was named drawing instructor to the Dauphin, Louis' heir, in 1661. Silvestre’s print offers a glimpse into the culture of spectacle that Louis cultivated, and that was central to the absolutist monarchy he constructed. This parade is carefully designed to project military might, and by extension, the power of the king. In whose name was this show of force being staged? For Louis, the performance of power was a crucial part of the reality of power. Careful examination of archival sources is essential for us to understand the true importance of prints such as this, because they served both a documentary and propagandistic function in early modern Europe.