Azië 1709

Bernard Picart created this print, titled "Asia," sometime between 1696 and 1733, likely in the Netherlands. It depicts a statue of Asia, one of the four continents, which stood in the Gardens of Versailles. These statues, commissioned by Louis XIV, weren't just decorative; they were powerful statements about France's global ambitions and its place within a European political landscape that was rapidly expanding its reach into other parts of the world through trade and colonization. The statue, and thus Picart’s rendering of it, uses classical imagery to represent Asia, but it does so through a European lens. The figure's dress, the objects she holds, and even her facial features reflect European perceptions and stereotypes of the continent. As historians, it’s our job to unpack these layers of meaning. By studying archival documents, travel literature, and other visual representations of the time, we can begin to understand how Europeans constructed their understanding of the world and their place within it.