Claude de Seyssel presenteert een boek aan koning Lodewijk XII 1729 - 1733

Dominique Sornique created this print of Claude de Seyssel presenting a book to King Louis XII. Though Sornique was an 18th century artist, this print depicts an event from the early 16th century. What does it mean to revisit this moment, two centuries later? The image presents us with a clear hierarchy: the King sits enthroned, flanked by his court, while Claude de Seyssel kneels to offer his text. France in the 18th century was still structured by these kinds of social hierarchies, and institutions like the monarchy, the church, and the aristocracy shaped the production and consumption of art. This print is a product of its time. The artist and the institution that likely commissioned or purchased the artwork, the Rijksmuseum, reinforce the power of these social structures. However, as historians, we can question these structures through deeper analysis. We can look more closely at the life and work of both Claude de Seyssel and Dominique Sornique to better understand the nuances of this historical image and its afterlives.