View of the Park at Versailles: Staircase, Urns and Topiaries n.d.

Antoine Pierre Mongin created this wash drawing, View of the Park at Versailles: Staircase, Urns and Topiaries, in the late 18th or early 19th century. During Mongin’s lifetime, France underwent massive upheaval as the monarchy was overthrown, and the aristocracy's dominance was challenged. This image of Versailles, with its ordered nature, symmetrical design, and classical references, embodies the power, control, and privilege of the elite. But there's a feeling of emptiness, too. The park is devoid of people, and the monochrome palette gives it a ghostly, detached quality. This suggests not only the physical space of Versailles, but also its cultural and social status during a period of radical change. Were the lavish displays of wealth represented by Versailles an essential component of French identity or were they a symbol of social injustice? This drawing asks us to consider how spaces and places embody complex histories, power dynamics, and perhaps, the quiet unease of a world on the cusp of transformation.