Lodewijk XIV, koning van Frankrijk [?] 1710

Editor: This is a Baroque relief from 1710, thought to be an image of Louis XIV. It's made of wood and housed in, well, what looks like a turned wooden box. It strikes me as oddly utilitarian for a royal portrait. What stands out to you? Curator: Utilitarian is a great word. To me, the most interesting aspect here is the act of production itself. Who carved this? How many were made? What purpose did they serve, really? Was this piece about propagating the image of the King, reaching a wider, perhaps even lower class, audience through affordable replication? Editor: So, it's less about Louis and more about the means of getting his image *out there*. Curator: Exactly. Think about the labor involved: the turning of the wood, the carving of the relief. Someone, or a workshop, was commissioned, paid – likely modestly – to produce these objects. It wasn't some grand artistic gesture of courtly love, but something altogether more workaday, even commercial. It prompts a look at production of the king’s image and the consumerism of the rising bourgeoisie. Editor: So you are focusing on the labor, almost a class system embedded in the artistic and production choices made in creating this object? Curator: Absolutely! This piece allows us to really look at the system behind it. I'd want to explore where the wood was sourced, what tools were available, and the skills needed to create something like this at this time. Those sorts of details tell you so much. Editor: That's fascinating. I'd always focused on the King and Baroque style, but understanding it through the lens of labor and production, brings the artwork to life. Thanks for pointing this out! Curator: It's just a shift in focus that unlocks a deeper story behind Louis, beyond the King.