Louis XIV (b. 1638, r. 1643–1715) 1674

This small medal of Louis XIV was made by Jean Mauger in France, sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The portrait presents the French monarch as a powerful ruler and defender of the faith, indicated by the inscription in Latin: "Louis the Great, Most Christian King." Louis believed in the divine right of kings, and he used imagery to construct a public persona that reinforced his authority. The medal was a medium that could be easily distributed and worn, allowing for the widespread dissemination of royal propaganda. The medals, like other art forms, were carefully controlled by the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, an institution that dictated artistic standards and promoted the king's image. By studying these objects, along with other archival sources like letters and administrative records, historians can uncover the complex interplay between art, power, and society in early modern Europe.