Louis XIV of France

King Louis XIV of France ruled for around seventy years as king and demonstrated his royalty well in the art that he chose to have made and constructed after his self-esteemed likeness. The painting of King Louis by Hyacinthe Rigaud demonstrates well how the king wished to be portrayed. King Louis is drenched over in a very large and flowing cloak with a rich blue and mixture, which was a very luxurious color back due to the origin of how the color had to be obtained from the grinding up of sea mollusks. The cloak is also adorned with the fleur-de-lis symbol. Accordingly, this symbol means the flower of the lily and has in the French culture been a significance of French royalty being said to represent "perfection, light, and life." The Palace…

King Louis XIV of France’s reign is one of the most frequently studied models of absolutism we analyze in history today. Absolutism is the “theory of the state in which the unlimited power of the king under God is emphasized” (Sivers et. al., 574). Many roles of absolutism were demonstrated during his time in power in attempt to improve France. These roles include controlling the nobles, unifying the country and extending state authority at home and abroad. Versailles was King Louis XIV’s…

another attempt for European hegemony (and ultimately) global mastery could begin. Thus, this was the fundamental basis for both the Bourbon Monarchy (France) and the Habsburg Empire (Austria) in The War of Spanish Succession. Moreover, the desire to attain Spain would lead to an global war, where a myriad of nations each beholding their own motives, endeavored to either restore the quasi-peace that Europe had possessed, or plummet into another…

countries meeting social, political, and economical downfall. Louis XIV of France has been regarded traditionally as the best example of the practice of absolute monarchy in the seventeenth century. He had faults which included his desire for glory, increased royal power, and military power and this resulted in war. Louis XIV left France impoverished and surrounded by enemies, along with causing major losses of life and capital spent from the wars he waged by the end of his life. Peter the…

September 5, 1638, the future fourteenth King Louis that France would see in it’s history, was born in St.-Germain-en-Laye, France. This would later be found out to be an important date to one of the most influential and longest reigning kings in France. He was born to King Louis XII of France and Anne of Austria. The reign of King Louis XIII would soon be gone from the memories of citizens and a new King would rule over France for over 70 years. His name was Louis-Dieudonné and he would later…

God in the Monarchy In Europe, during the seventeenth century, it was common to find monarchies. England and France had two different types of monarchy. Not all monarchies were constitutional in Europe. At the period of time it was easy to see Absolutism and Constitutionalism as a form of government. Most of the monarchs were men with the exception of England. Two important reigns were in Europe. One was in England with Queen Elizabeth I and the other one was in France with King Louis XIV. He …

Peter the Great used the Table of Ranks which placed superiority to those who were endowed and served in the military – not by birthright – with the highest civil rank being a chancellor. This improved Peter the Great’s control over how much power certain nobles had because they could not skip ranks and need to be promoted to advance. Louis XIV used the two main classes Nobles of the Robe and Nobles of the Sword. The Nobles of the Sword were those in the nobility by birthright – their…

define the term absolutism and absolute monarchy. Most notably are Louis XIV of France and Peter the Great of Russia during the late 1700s. When examining a ruler’s legacy underneath the premise of absolute monarchy, how nice or how effective of a ruler has no effect. On the contrary, an absolute monarch is defined by the outrageous and the absurd. An absolute monarch is defined by their actions and how capable they are of imposed their will on their subjects, despite how incorrect or…

In 1681, King Louis XIV of France wrote a letter to the King of Tonkin requesting permission for Christian missionaries to be allowed to convert the people in Vietnam. King Louis did not only want to trade with the Vietnamese, but he also felt that the people should be allow to be taught about the one true God of the Christian religion. He argues that if the King of Tonkin knew of the truths that Christianity taught that he would be the first of his subjects to convert. Louis also mentions the…

In 1701, Hyacinthe Rigaud painted an oil portrait of King Louis XIV. This portrait would soon become one of the most famous portraits of the sun king. All elements of the portrait are meant to show the king’s power and wealth, like the coronation robes, the scepter, and the crown. However, aspects of the portrait ambiguously reflect on Louis XIV’ influence in the fashion industry during the late 17th century. A few examples of this are his wig, his sword and its sheath, and his shoes and…