Allegorie op Franse monarchie 1756

Jan Caspar Philips created this allegory of the French monarchy as an etching. It's an intricate scene that offers a glimpse into the 18th-century perception of power, gender, and nationhood. The central female figure, embodying France, sits enthroned, laden with symbols of authority. Around her, putti play with maps, suggesting the reach and grasp of French power across territories. But this isn't just about geopolitical control, it's about identity too. The female figure is idealized, yet firmly planted in a position of dominance, reflecting the era's complex negotiation of gender and power. The composition presents an idealized version of French power, but there is a tension between the grandeur and the realities of the period. How might the lived experiences of women, the working class, or colonized peoples complicate this image of national strength? This image presents nationhood as an aesthetic and emotional project.