Frontispiece from "Collection of Portraits" 1714 - 1741

Etienne Desrochers created this print, the frontispiece from "Collection of Portraits," during a time when the French monarchy was solidifying its power through cultural patronage. Desrochers, as engraver to the King, was part of this system. The print presents a ram's head draped over a banner, flanked by putti, with more cherubic figures below tending to a mysterious, flame-like form. Consider the ram, a symbol often associated with virility and power, and the idealized, almost androgynous, bodies of the putti. What norms of beauty and power are being constructed here? How do these symbols function within the context of Louis XIV’s court, known for its elaborate displays of wealth and control? The portraits which would have followed this frontispiece served to reinforce a certain social hierarchy. This image invites us to reflect on the ways in which art was—and continues to be—enmeshed with structures of authority and representation, shaping our understanding of identity and status.