Explication des tableaux de la galerie de Versailles, et de ses deux sallons 1687

This is the title page from Pierre Rainssant’s “Explication des tableaux de la galerie de Versailles, et de ses deux sallons”, dating back to 1687. Commissioned during the reign of Louis XIV, this book served as a guide to the paintings in the Palace of Versailles. Within the context of the Sun King’s absolutist rule, art was utilized as a powerful tool for propaganda. The detailed descriptions of mythological and historical scenes reinforce the image of Louis XIV as a divine and powerful ruler, drawing parallels between his reign and the glories of antiquity. But consider the other side: the emotional lives of the people represented in these paintings are flattened to aggrandize power. Through Rainssant's words, we gain insight into the narratives that were deemed worthy of representation, narratives that served to construct and reinforce the social and political order of the time. The book is a lens through which we can better understand the intersection of art, power, and identity in 17th-century France.