Het Château Chambord en de Chapelle de Chambord 1872 - 1904

Wilhelm Cornelis Bauer made this pen drawing of the Château Chambord and the Chapelle de Chambord in France at the turn of the 20th century. Here, we see the Château, an imposing structure, captured from different angles, and the Chapelle de Chambord to the upper right, sketched with a lighter hand. The Château de Chambord is significant, not just as an architectural marvel of the French Renaissance, but as a symbol of royal power and excess. Commissioned by King Francis I in the 16th century, it embodies the aspirations of a monarchy seeking to legitimize its rule through grand displays of wealth. Bauer, creating this image centuries later, positions himself within a long line of artists attracted to the Château as a monumental subject. As art historians, we must examine the social conditions that allow for the creation and appreciation of such artworks. Historical archives, architectural studies, and socio-political analyses provide additional lenses through which we can understand Bauer's drawing and the grand Château it depicts.