Aubouin biedt de Hertog van Bourgondië een boek aan 1698

Sébastien Leclerc I created this print, titled "Aubouin biedt de Hertog van Bourgondië een boek aan", around 1698 using etching. The image captures a formal moment of offering and receiving books, a symbolic act of knowledge transfer within the French court. The act of giving and receiving books, rendered in meticulous detail, speaks volumes about the cultural values of the time. Leclerc, as an artist closely associated with the court of Louis XIV, was deeply embedded in its structures of power and patronage. Leclerc’s work often reflects the intersection of artistic expression and political messaging, portraying the monarchy as enlightened and cultured. Consider how the arrangement of figures, their gestures, and even their attire, communicate status, and influence within the courtly hierarchy. Reflect on the dynamic between giver and receiver, and what the exchange of knowledge meant in a society where access to information was carefully managed. This seemingly simple act of offering a book is laden with the weight of power, knowledge, and social standing.