For centuries, artists of every genre accept been using their craft to limited their opinions in an attempt to influence others to follow those opinions. Artists take used their works to demonstrate superiority, incite political unrest and bring awareness to societal issues. In this paper we will exist discussing three works from history and how these works have been used in the service of politics. We will discuss the backgrounds of King Louis Fourteen's Palace of Versailles, Paul Revere'due south engraving, The Encarmine Massacre, and Charles Dickens' novel, Oliver Twist, along with the influence each had before moving on to discuss how each slice relates to each other in terms of similarity, departure and influence. In the end, we volition run into how art tin can be a powerful tool to influence the masses and bring about change.

Male monarch Louis XIV, 1701.
Public Domain

The first work nosotros are going to explore is the Palace of Versailles. This palace is a clear and lasting monument to the power and superiority of King Louis XIV of French republic. What began as a small hunting club in the centre of the country developed into the grandest and well-nigh elaborate chateau Europe had ever seen. Whether this was an intentional representation of King Louis's reign or just a coincidence, the parallels are quite striking. King Louis gained the throne of France at the age of 4 during a time of political unrest, though he didn't start ruling by himself until he was 22. When Louis took control of France in 1661, it was a country poised on economic plummet. After a series of civil wars, years of governmental backlog, and embezzlement past the Superintendent of Finance, the country was in shambles and the people wanted alter. Rex Louis was prepare to oblige and began sweeping changes across the board. To solidify his position as well as consolidate political potency, King Louis XIV immediately began instituting authoritative, financial, legal, economic, and armed services reforms. Equally he did this, France began to abound in solidarity, economic forcefulness, and financial security.

Ane of the commencement changes he fabricated was to begin working on the palace that would get the symbol of his authoritarianism and reign. Calling upon the talents of Charles Le Brun, a painter; Louis Le Vau, an architect; and André le Nôtre, a landscape architect; he prepare well-nigh transforming that small country lodge into the grandest palace in Europe. In one case the Palace of Versailles was completed, it stood proudly as the concrete embodiment of King Louis Fourteen's paradigm, power, and authority.

Painting of Versailles, 1668.
Public Domain

While the grandness of Versailles is indisputable, one may wonder what a grand building has to do with France'south politics and how information technology affected their history. It wasn't the fact that Versailles was grand that made it and so influential, but how it was used. Every attribute of the palace from the grounds to the placement of his bedroom represented his position as the centre and soul of French republic. His moniker of the Sun King was clearly represented in the symmetrical layout of the garden with pathways radiating from the palace besides equally adorning gates, walls, and statuary. His bedchamber was relocated from a side department of the palace to the very center of the palace to symbolize his part as the center of all that was France and several daily rituals took place at that place.

Gardens of Versailles
King Louis XIV Sleeping accommodation
Courtesy of Wikimedia

Another fashion the palace was used to influence both citizens and non-citizens was through the Hall of Mirrors. This g hall was designated as a ceremonial reception room for visiting heads of land and filled with paintings portraying Rex Louis Xiv in the function of a Roman emperor, a wise ambassador, and a military genius as a means of impressing upon those visitors the overwhelming power of the King. Those entering through this hall could not help merely be in awe of the regality and splendor within and thus associating power and authority with King Louis.

Hall of Mirrors
Courtesy of Wikimedia

The palace was as well full of paintings and sculptures of Rex Louis in poses that conveyed his absolutism and superiority. And information technology wasn't but the Hall of Mirrors that was purple and imposing. The entire palace was congenital on a grand scale, adorned with the latest artistic styles and using the highest quality materials available in order to convey the Male monarch's wealth and majesty. Everywhere one went, they were met with symbols and testaments to the divine power of King Louis XIV. This helped solidify in the minds of the people his correct to absolute power and ushered in an era of absolute monarchy. Would this have been possible without the splendor and ostentatiousness of Versailles? Perhaps. Simply it cannot be denied that the constant visual attack of Male monarch Louis' power and prestige helped impress upon the minds of the French citizens that he was a powerful ruler.

Along with the physical construction and layout of the palace, the events within the palace grounds were designed to print upon the land that King Louis Xiv was the prevailing potency and accented ability of French republic. The 1653 danceBallet de la Nuit (Ballet of the Nighttime), in particular, was a powerful promotion of King Louis'southward power and say-so. Many performances in which the rex took part were meant to promote the image of his accented monarchy and the glory of France under his rule forth with being expressions of his power, but theBallet de la Nuit did this in a very clear and succinct style which could not be misunderstood.

Louis XIV as Apollo, 1653
Public Domain

In this dance, the 14-year-old Louis took on 5 separate roles, virtually notable of which was the Sun God, Apollo. Information technology was this operation which led to his beingness titled the Sun King. In taking on the role of Apollo, Louis was making a assuming declaration of his power and reinforcing the thought that the whole of French republic revolved around him. This performance as well signified his coming of age with the assertion that he would presently exist ruling alone, without a regent. He accomplished this through a pivotal scene in which he stood on a raised tableau in the middle of the stage with the rest of the actors orbiting around him only every bit the planets orbit around the sun. His position was conspicuously one of power with a begetting of conviction and authority. This scene was a singular statement of his importance and helped support in the minds of the people that he was the center of France and that he was ready to lead the country with ability and dominance.

What as well helped reinforce these ideas were the extravagance of the set, the costumes and music for the dance. King Louis' costume was that of the sun, created with all the decadence that signified his rule. And in keeping with the theme of supporting King Louis'south importance and authority, the music was composed past the lead musicians of the day. Every attribute of this ballet was meant to demonstrate the preeminence of France and the supreme importance of her King. By doing so, it was a articulate back up of the Male monarch every bit the prevailing dominance.

Later taking role in this ballet, King Louis embraced his role as the 'dominicus king of France' and ordered diverse depictions of the sunday around Versailles. These tin can be seen on the gates, gildings on the walls, in sculptures, woven into tapestries, and included in paintings. Some inclusions are subtle, like the layout of the gardens, but others were more than ostentatious, like the emblems on the gates.

Other depictions that showed Rex Louis in positions of power and authority and the link between him and the prosperity of French republic include sculptures of him in acquisition poses, the way he designed and named his private apartments after Greek gods, the sculptures of Lady French republic (known every bit Liberty or Marianne) carrying a cornucopia overflowing with nutrient, depictions of angels carrying crowns of leaves over paintings and sculptures of him, and sculptures of Lady France carrying a cornucopia inundation with nutrient while sitting on an prototype of starvation.

Courtesy of Wikimedia

The Palace of Versailles was brimming with symbols and representations of Rex Louis' greatness. Every artistic avenue that could be used to limited King Louis' superiority, such as dance, theater, music, interior décor, and mural, was used to the fullest. All of this ostentatious symbolism was for the sole purpose of reinforcing the idea that all power and goodness emanated from him and that by and through him France would achieve nifty glory. And it worked. Rex Louis 14 had a largely successful 72-year dominion that solidified absolute monarchy in France also as increased French influence around the world. His reign has been heralded as the greatest age of French history and fifty-fifty now there are governments and individual citizens who seek to emulate his achievements. His use of art to convey his position of ability and the absolute potency he held went a long way in achieving his goal and assuasive him the ability he needed to bring France from a identify of despondency to an era of enlightenment and prosperity.

Thank y'all for reading my analysis of how King Louis XIV's utilise of various mediums of art afflicted French history. This is Part 1 of a 4-part series examining the historic influence of art. Adjacent calendar week nosotros will look at how Paul Revere used art to alter the course of American history and changed the relationship between America and Great Britain.