During the 17th and 18th centuries, two of the most dichotomous ruler’s of all time made their mark on Europe: King Louis XIV of France and Frederick the Great of Prussia. These two rulers were at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of government and image. On one hand was Louis XIV, with his absolutist government, emblazoned with gold, jewels, and lavish clothing. On the other hand was Frederick the Great, the stalwart and humble leader of Prussia, identifiable not by his outward appearance, but by his character and personality. These two set about ruling their countries in extremely different ways. When looking at Louis XIV, it is difficult to ignore the splendor with witch he surrounded himself, in an attempt to maintain the persona of The Sun King. It is clear when analyzing Louis XIV in Majesty
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For Louis XIV, Versailles was an overt statement of power, wealth, and superiority. It was a veritable fortress of 700 rooms, all lavishly decorated with gold, mirrors, and thousands of paintings. It was used to curry political favor amongst the nobles by hosting lavish parties, often extending for months on end. By creating this noble culture of being in the king’s good graces, Louis was able to keep a tight grip on the nobility of France, keeping them placated and loyal. The palace itself was also meant to be awe-inspiring to the nobles. Starting as a simple hunting cabin, Louis built it to be the peak of luxury and excess. This was common for the Baroque style of architecture, but it had never seen application on such a grand scale. The aforementioned portrait of Louis stood nearly three meters tall, and almost two meters wide, creating a likeness of Louis that was literally larger than life. The famous Hall of Mirrors in Versailles was a spectacle that strikes even modern tourists as awe-inspiring. This was purposely done in order to establish dominance as the most powerful man in
For Louis XIV, Versailles was an overt statement of power, wealth, and superiority. It was a veritable fortress of 700 rooms, all lavishly decorated with gold, mirrors, and thousands of paintings. It was used to curry political favor amongst the nobles by hosting lavish parties, often extending for months on end. By creating this noble culture of being in the king’s good graces, Louis was able to keep a tight grip on the nobility of France, keeping them placated and loyal. The palace itself was also meant to be awe-inspiring to the nobles. Starting as a simple hunting cabin, Louis built it to be the peak of luxury and excess. This was common for the Baroque style of architecture, but it had never seen application on such a grand scale. The aforementioned portrait of Louis stood nearly three meters tall, and almost two meters wide, creating a likeness of Louis that was literally larger than life. The famous Hall of Mirrors in Versailles was a spectacle that strikes even modern tourists as awe-inspiring. This was purposely done in order to establish dominance as the most powerful man in