Fragment van een schets van twee ruiters 1642 - 1690

Adam van der Meulen made this drawing of two riders with pen in grey-brown ink in the 17th century. Van der Meulen became Louis XIV’s official war artist in 1664, accompanying the king on military campaigns to record his victories. At the time, the French court placed a great emphasis on appearances, using art as propaganda to shore up Louis XIV’s image as a powerful leader and military victor. The creation of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1648 formalized artistic training, and the royal court was a major patron, commissioning works that glorified the king. In this context, we can read this sketch not just as a preparatory study, but also as an insight into the production of heroic imagery, and the place of the artist within it. By researching court documents, military records, and the artist’s biography, we can better understand the social conditions that shaped the imagery of power in 17th-century France.