Lodewijk IX van Frankrijk tot pelgrim gewijd, 1244 (?) 19th century

Editor: This is an engraving from the 19th century, titled "Lodewijk IX van Frankrijk tot pelgrim gewijd, 1244 (?)," which translates to "Louis IX of France Consecrated as a Pilgrim, 1244 (?)." It depicts a king kneeling before a religious figure. It strikes me as very staged, like a historical reenactment. What do you see in this piece in terms of its historical and cultural relevance? Curator: This print exemplifies 19th-century romanticism's fascination with the medieval period. It’s interesting how they represent Louis IX. This image reinforces a particular narrative: the pious, almost saintly king. The meticulous detail, typical of engravings, aimed to lend authenticity to the scene. Editor: So, it's not necessarily an accurate depiction of the event, but rather a constructed image serving a purpose? Curator: Exactly. Think about who would have commissioned and consumed this kind of print. The 19th century saw the rise of nation-states and a need for national heroes. Representing Louis IX as a devout and virtuous leader helped legitimize certain political and religious ideologies. Were these images meant to subtly support the institutions themselves? Editor: That's fascinating. It almost feels like propaganda, even though it's presented as a historical record. How would a 19th-century viewer interpret the king's submission in the artwork? Curator: They likely would have seen it as evidence of his piety and devotion to God. It reinforces the idea of divinely ordained rule, but it’s worth asking how it reflects broader shifts in social class at the time, too. It might speak to tensions and new hierarchies! Editor: I never thought about the political message in what seemed to be just a historical scene. I will consider prints like these in the context of their time. Curator: Precisely! Keep questioning whose interests such images served, and you'll find deeper meanings.