Omlijsting met militairen 1658 - 1719

This is Nicolas Guérard’s “Omlijsting met militairen,” made in the late 17th or early 18th century. Guérard worked as an engraver for the French court, and that position offers insight into this piece, whose title translates to “Framework with soldiers”. The print depicts an ornate, empty frame bordered by scenes of military life. Soldiers on horseback and foot populate the margins, as do allegorical figures of Justice and Victory. But what exactly is being framed here? And who gets to be represented within it? What are the implications of immortalizing war? Guérard’s composition offers us a glimpse into the politics of representation during the reign of Louis XIV, where military might and royal authority were used to construct national identity. The piece asks us to consider how power and violence are legitimized, and whose stories are deemed worthy of preservation.