Portret van Lodewijk XIV, koning van Frankrijk 1642 - 1678

Nicolas de Larmessin made this engraving of Louis XIV, King of France. The image is an example of royal portraiture in France and speaks to the centrality of image-making within the French court. Louis used portraiture extensively to cultivate an image of himself as powerful and divinely ordained to rule. He was the model of an absolute monarch. Note the trappings of royalty: the suggestion of armor, the elaborate wig, and the suggestion of ermine. Even the decorative frame with its ribbons and heraldic emblems conveys a sense of grandeur. The French court was a powerful cultural institution that generated its own visual language. It was imitated throughout Europe. To fully understand images like this, we can look to archival documents from the French court, records of royal spending on the arts, and the writings of contemporary critics. By studying these sources, we can better understand the ways in which art was used to shape public opinion and reinforce social hierarchies.