Portret van Lodewijk XIV 1672

Curator: Standing before us, we have a portrait of Louis XIV, engraved in 1672 by Robert Nanteuil. Editor: It’s a study in power, certainly, but it also feels so constrained, almost suffocating. Look at that wig; the lace… heavy stuff! Curator: Exactly! Think about the process involved. Nanteuil was a master of engraving, particularly known for his portraits. Consider the labor invested in those fine lines, meticulously etched into the copper plate. Each one a decision. And this was a reproduction; it was about disseminating power, making the king's image widely accessible through prints. The consumption of imagery. Editor: The imagery is fascinating. Beyond the obvious fleur-de-lis, symbols of French royalty, consider the oval frame. Framed by those symbols but at the very top it is lions head flanked by its paws. A sense of curated protection that extends even to how he's depicted in these miniatures attached to the oval’s foliage; emblems of some specific achievements. The artist doesn't allow a casual glance, everything reinforces that persona, but does he become something of a symbolic prisoner? Curator: That tension between display and constraint makes it such a compelling piece of propaganda, perhaps the true intent behind the image. The economics of image-making supported a king who saw himself as the sun. Consider, though, what materials were available to Nanteuil. The quality of the paper, the inks... these choices impacted the final product and, more importantly, how it was disseminated and received. Editor: It also evokes the psychological weight of kingship, the way rulers often craft, or have crafted, a public persona steeped in symbolism that begins to define not just how they're perceived, but perhaps how they perceive themselves. In this case, power that feels like performance, and a very specific type of power through visual means, using everything available as language to assert. Curator: Precisely, we’re left contemplating not just Louis XIV, but also the industrial underpinnings that sustained and amplified his image. Editor: Yes, and those symbols leave us wondering how much the image overtook the individual as perceived through history. A calculated presentation and an open window.