Soldiers around a campfire 

Joseph Parrocel made this sketch of soldiers around a campfire in 17th-century France. What can art tell us about the role of the military in French society at this time? Louis XIV, the Sun King, was on the throne, and he used warfare as a tool of state. As a result, military imagery became very popular. The French army was becoming a more organized and professional force, and this change in its social position was reflected in art. Here we see the artist has sketched a scene that, in its own way, is a reflection of the glorification of the military at the time, but in a more casual way. Art historians can look at the records of the French court and the military to better understand the culture of that time. And in turn, that helps us to understand what this sketch tells us about the place of the military in 17th-century French society.