De triomfboog in de tuin van Versailles c. 1715

"De triomfboog in de tuin van Versailles" is an engraving made by Maurice Baquoy, part of a series depicting scenes from the Gardens of Versailles. Reflecting the reign of Louis XIV, this image encapsulates the tensions between constructed spectacle and natural environments. It stages nature as a backdrop for aristocratic leisure. Notice the rigidity of the architecture set against the unruliness of the foliage. The engraving implies control over nature, mirroring the social hierarchies of the French court. The figures are adorned in finery, leisurely exploring the garden's artifice. However, these refined exteriors conceal the social inequalities of the era. Versailles embodies the power of the monarchy but what about the labor of the unseen masses who toiled to create and maintain this illusion? Baquoy's work serves as a reminder of the complex relationship between art, power, and the narratives we construct around history. It invites us to reflect on whose stories are told and whose are deliberately left out.