Lodewijk Anton van Bourbon op het slagveld van Trocadero 1838 - 1841

Alphonse François made this print of Lodewijk Anton van Bourbon on the battlefield of Trocadero sometime in the mid-19th century. It depicts a French royalist victory during the French intervention in Spain in 1823, when a French army invaded Spain to restore the Bourbon king Ferdinand VII to the throne. Here, Bourbon strides across a chaotic scene of fallen soldiers, broken weapons, and a distraught woman shielding her eyes. He is portrayed as a triumphant leader, his figure casting a long shadow over the carnage. The image creates meaning through the visual codes of heroism and nobility, framing Bourbon as a central figure in restoring the old order. Prints like these served a clear political purpose at the time, aiming to legitimize the Bourbon monarchy and to connect it to a glorious military tradition. Historical research into French political culture of the period and the Bourbon dynasty helps us understand the print better. Ultimately, art's meaning is always contingent on the social and institutional context in which it is made and viewed.