The City of Lyon Welcoming the Queen 17th-18th century

Curator: This is Gaspard Duchange’s “The City of Lyon Welcoming the Queen,” currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The print shows a city greeting royalty. My first thought is the theatricality of it all! Editor: Absolutely, the drama is palpable. I see the allegorical figures, the lions, the putti... Duchange really leans into baroque grandeur here. It speaks to the power dynamics at play. Curator: Indeed! The Queen's arrival isn't just a visit; it's a political spectacle, a performance of authority. And Duchange, through his artistic choices, reinforces these established hierarchies. Editor: And how does the image of Lyon itself, nestled beneath the figures, contribute to that narrative of power and welcome? Does it highlight the city's agency or its subjugation? Curator: A complicated question. It seems as if Duchange saw the queen's arrival not as welcome, but as a surrender to social norms. Editor: Interesting, it's a good reminder that art, even seemingly celebratory pieces, can mask very complicated narratives.