Lodewijk XIV kent de ridderorde van de Heilige Geest toe aan zijn kleinzoon, 1710 1729

Editor: This is "Lodewijk XIV kent de ridderorde van de Heilige Geest toe aan zijn kleinzoon," an engraving made in 1729 by Nicolas de Larmessin. It feels so...formal, staged almost, like a royal photoshoot. All those elaborate wigs! What captures your attention when you look at it? Curator: Ah, yes, another slice of powdered-wig history. I'm struck by the performance of power. Look how light seems to caress Louis XIV, drawing our eyes to him bestowing the honor. Think about what’s not shown - the real political machinations, the compromises...gone, replaced with an image of benevolent authority. What does the density of figures in this piece evoke to you? Editor: Claustrophobia, maybe? Or just…opulence? So many courtiers crammed in. I suppose it reinforces the importance of the event, but it’s a bit much. Curator: Precisely! The crowding signals importance, absolutely. But Baroque art often revels in excess as a show of dominance. Imagine the labor and expense involved in those garments alone! Is it convincing as propaganda, even knowing what we do about history? Editor: Hmm, that’s a tricky one. The engraving’s precision certainly lends it an air of authority, but knowing what I do now, all the pretense kind of overshadows the ‘greatness.’ Curator: Agreed. And, remember, the purpose wasn't necessarily historical accuracy, but crafting a narrative. Today, we can pick it apart, enjoy the exquisite rendering, and maybe smile at the carefully constructed facade. I find it freeing to have that perspective, do you? Editor: I do, absolutely! Looking at art, like this engraving, and realizing how staged everything was. Thanks! Curator: A pleasure! Another layer peeled back from the past.