Cartouche met bovenin een medaillon met het portret van Lodewijk XV 1753 - 1804

Louis Jean Desprez created this drawing titled "Cartouche met bovenin een medaillon met het portret van Lodewijk XV" using pen in ink. Notice the symmetrical composition of the ornamental cartouche, it’s designed with elaborate swirls and flourishes characteristic of the era. The central medaillon featuring Louis XV anchors the piece, above an otherwise empty tableau, framed by complex, interwoven decorative elements. Desprez employs a system of signs to elevate the status of Louis XV, using classical motifs such as globes, flags, and portraiture to embody power, intellect, and divine right. Note how the texture created by the fine pen strokes gives depth to the composition, drawing the eye across the surface in a play of light and shadow. The artwork destabilizes established meanings by combining royal portraiture with decorative fantasy. It challenges fixed meanings and engages with new ways of thinking about power and representation. It’s in this fusion of formalism, signs and symbols that the drawing communicates its ideas, reflecting the artistic and philosophical concerns of its time.