Blad met Lodewijk XIV-ornament 1690 - 1742

This is a design for an ornament created by Abraham Mieser. We don't have a date for it but the title tells us that it is in the style of Louis XIV. The visual codes in the image, such as the symmetry, bold colours and classical motifs of foliage, are heavily associated with the decorative arts in France during the reign of Louis XIV. This was a time when the King was consolidating power and placing himself at the centre of cultural life. The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture was founded under his rule and shaped the kind of art that was produced in the period. Ornament played a central role in the expression of power and status, as it was applied to palaces and other buildings associated with the King and his court. We can research this further by looking at interior design of the period and the records of the Académie. This would reveal the historical context that shaped the production of this kind of ornament.