Portret van Lodewijk XVI (koning van Frankrijk) after 1793

Editor: So, here we have a print of Louis XVI, King of France, created sometime after his execution in 1793. It’s striking how… unremarkable it looks, considering the subject. Just a simple, engraved portrait. What do you see in this piece, especially knowing it was made after such a monumental event? Curator: Well, it's interesting, isn't it? This isn’t the triumphant king, is it? It’s more like a memento. After such a huge upheaval, perhaps people wanted a small piece of…normality? This kind of Neoclassical style aims for order and reason. Imagine trying to make sense of regicide. You know, almost like trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together with a really elegant glue stick. Editor: So, the simplicity is deliberate? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the historical context. France was in chaos. This image provides a kind of…visual full stop. It marks the end of an era with, ironically, the cool, calm aesthetics of that era. But there’s also something heartbreaking about it, don’t you think? Creating a formal portrait to be consumed as propaganda during this period is an odd twist. Or, rather, to remember what used to be when now the slate had been wiped clean. Editor: That’s such a powerful way to think about it, that the understated style actually speaks volumes about the upheaval it represents. It really makes you wonder what people thought looking at it then. Thanks, I hadn't considered that. Curator: Anytime. For me, it speaks of loss and resilience... history, still breathing quietly on the page. Always learning, always processing… fascinating, really.