Louis XIV appreciated the arts and ensured that they flourished during his reign. He allowed French literature to flourish by protecting influential writers such as Molière, Racine and La Fontaine. He patronized visual arts by providing funds and commissions for famous artists like Charles Le Brun
Charles Le Brun
Charles Le Brun was a French painter, physiognomist, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. As court painter to Louis XIV, who declared him "the greatest French artist of all time", he was a dominant figure in 17th-century French art and much influenced by Nicolas Poussin.
What did Louis XIV do for art?
Louis XIV: What France's Sun King did for art. He didn't care for politics, but Louis XIV left behind artistic treasures. He died 300 years ago this month and France is celebrating by pulling out white wigs, masks and old instruments.
Why was dance important in the Court of King Louis XIV?
And dance was one of the many ways Louis was able to keep the nobility in their place. Dance had been intricately bound up with court etiquette for decades. But under Louis’s watch, it became one of the most important social functions of the court.
What did King Louis XVI do to help the economy?
He inherited a country whose treasury verged on bankruptcy. With help from his Minister of Finance, Louis implemented a wide range of plans to increase commerce and trade. New industries were established and there was encouragement to manufacturers and inventors, such as the Lyon silk manufacturers.
What was happening to King Louis XIV’s private life?
At the same time, great changes were occurring in his private life. In 1680 the marquise de Montespan, who had replaced Mme de La Vallière as Louis’s mistress in 1667, was implicated in the Affair of the Poisons, a scandal in which a number of prominent people were accused of sorcery and murder.
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What style of art did Louis XIV prefer?
One of the most enduring and popular forms of the Style Louis XIV is the jardin à la française or French formal garden, a style based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. The most famous example is the Gardens of Versailles designed by André Le Nôtre, which inspired copies all across Europe.
What did Louis XIV do for entertainment?
the exhibition. As a political monarch, King Louis XIV took “grand entertainment” to the height of magnificence, making Versailles a venue for monumental, extraordinary and fantastical parties and shows.
How did King Louis XIV impact the culture of France?
He brought the French monarchy to its peak of absolute power and made France the dominant power in Europe. His reign is also associated with the greatest age of French culture and art. After the chaos of the Wars of Religion, the French monarchy had been reestablished by Louis XIV's grandfather, Henry IV.
How did Louis XIV influence the art world?
Louis XIV picked art over politics With its extensive gardens, playful pavilions and noble palace buildings, Versailles offered the appropriate backdrop for artistic life at the court of Louis XIV, who surrounded himself with thousands of aristocrats, composers and artists.
In what ways did Louis XIV support the arts quizlet?
In what ways did Louis XIV support the arts ? he danced as the title role as the " Sun King " in a ballet, he built the palace of versailles. Why did Louis fail in his attempts to expand the French Empire ? he decided to fight addictional wars, by the end of the 1680's european-wide alliance had formed to stop france.
What strategy did Louis XIV dominate European culture?
International recognition of French creativity in the arts, literature, and science formed an integral part of Louis XIV's strategy to dominate European culture.
Was king Louis the 14th a good king?
Louis XIV's reign was important in French history not just because it lasted so long but because he was a strong-willed ruler who was determined to make his subjects obey him and to make his kingdom the predominant power in Europe.
What was the legacy of Louis XIV?
THE PRINCIPAL LEGACY of Louis XIV was a powerful and centralized France. Though le Roi Soleil was no superman in the sense that he would have fought his way to the front had he not been of royal descent, he gave his name to the greatest era in French history, and his rays penetrated to every corner of Europe.
How much did Louis XIV spend on the palace at Versailles?
117,000 LivresTo celebrate his victory over Spain, Louis XIV wanted to organise a party worthy of it, and he spent on it the enormous sum of 117,000 Livres – a third of the budget for Versailles in 1668. The king also wanted the festivities to stand out distinctly from the party of 1664.
Why was Louis XIV called the Sun king?
Louis XIV believed himself a direct representative of God Reflecting that belief, Louis XIV believed any disobedience to his edicts to be sinful, and he adopted the sun as his emblem since France revolved around him as the planets revolved around the sun.
How did Louis XIV control the nobles?
He separated power from status and grandeur: secured the nobles' cooperation. Louis XIV required the nobles to live at the palace. This was like an opulent prison because Louis XIV required them to live there for part of the year. It weakened the nobles by accustoming them to opulance and decadent activity.
What was the legacy of Louis XIV?
THE PRINCIPAL LEGACY of Louis XIV was a powerful and centralized France. Though le Roi Soleil was no superman in the sense that he would have fought his way to the front had he not been of royal descent, he gave his name to the greatest era in French history, and his rays penetrated to every corner of Europe.
What is Louis XIV known for?
Louis XIV, king of France (1643–1715), ruled his country, principally from his great palace at Versailles, during one of the country’s most brillia...
How old was Louis XIV when he acceded to the throne?
Louis XIV succeeded his father as king of France on May 14, 1643, at the age of four years eight months. According to the laws of the kingdom, he b...
How did Louis XIV die?
Louis XIV died in 1715, four days shy of his 77th birthday, from gangrene associated with an infection in his leg.
Why did Louis XIV like to paint?
According to the tradition of the French kings, Louis XIV liked to act as a generous patron and supporter of artists - with the ulterior motive of immortalizing himself in paintings and compositions. After all, the color "royal blue" was introduced in art on his behalf.
Where was Louis XIV's cultural world?
The preparations for the presentation of the rich cultural world of Louis XIV are currently in full swing all over France, and especially in Paris. Historical masked balls with wigs and crinolines, accompanied by music from the day, remind a modern-day public of the tastes that prevailed during Louis XIV's reign.
How long was Louis XIV's hall of mirrors?
As King of France and Navarre from 1643 to 1715, Louis XIV took particular pride in his sumptuously decorated, 73-meter-long (240-foot) hall of mirrors. That's where castle concerts, theater performances, and especially Louis' beloved dancing quadrilles took place.
How many sheets of gold did Louis XIV have?
Celebrations in France marking the 300th anniversary of the death of Louis XIV (1638 -1715) are, well, fit for a king. A total of 30,000 sheets of finest gold ...
What was the backdrop for the art of Louis XIV?
With its extensive gardens, playful pavilions and noble palace buildings, Versailles offered the appropriate backdrop for artistic life at the court of Louis XIV, who surrounded himself with thousands of aristocrats, composers and artists.
Who was the playwright who performed the Sun King's dances?
His Majesty himself, clad in various costumes, loved to perform in these dances. Among the spectators was also the playwright and actor Molière. After winning the favor of the arts-friendly Sun King, he belonged to his entourage starting in 1611. Since Molière had the privilege of observing the king up close, many of his well known plays contain character studies of the sickly sovereign.
What is on display at the Sun King's will?
On display will be objects and jewels from the royal treasury, drawings, lithographs, paintings, and precious documents , such as the Sun King's 16-page will. It had disappeared for decades, but resurfaced during an auction in 2009 and is now in the possession of a French investor.
What did Louis XIV buy?
He bought so many pieces of classical or Renaissance sculpture that Italy feared artistic denudation, and the Pope forbade the further export of art. Louis engaged men of talent like Girardon or Coysevox to make copies of statues that he could not buy; and seldom have copies so rivaled their originals.
What was Louis XIV's greatest patron?
Louis XIV became the greatest patron of art that history has known. He “gave greater encouragement to the arts” (in the judgment of Voltaire) “than all his fellow kings together.”! He was, of course, the most openhanded collector. He enlarged the number of paintings in his galleries from two hundred to twenty-five hundred; and many of these pictures were the product of royal commissions to French artists. He bought so many pieces of classical or Renaissance sculpture that Italy feared artistic denudation, and the Pope forbade the further export of art. Louis engaged men of talent like Girardon or Coysevox to make copies of statues that he could not buy; and seldom have copies so rivaled their originals. The palaces, gardens, and parks of Paris, Versailles, and Marly were peopled with statuary. The surest way to the King’s favor was to present him with a work of unquestioned beauty or established repute; so the city of Aries gave him its famous Venus in 1683. Louis was not stingy; each year, in Voltaire’s estimate, he bought French art products to the value of 800,000 livres, and made gifts of them to cities, institutions, and friends, aiming at once to support the artists and to disseminate a sense of beauty and a feeling for art. The taste of the King was good, and immensely benefited French art, but it was narrowly classical. When he was shown some paintings by the younger Teniers he commanded, “Elllevez-moi ces grotesques! Take away these crudities!” Under his favor artists rose considerably in earnings and social status. He gave the cue by personally honoring them; and when someone complained of the patents of nobility that he conferred on the painter Le Brun and the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansard, he replied, with some warmth, “I can make twenty dukes or peers in a quarter of an hour, but it takes centuries to make#N#a Mansard.” Mansard was paid eighty thousand livres per year; Le Brun reveled in the opulence of his mansions at Paris, Versailles, and Montmorency; Largilliere and Rigaud received six hundred livres per portrait. “No artist of worth was left in poverty.”
What was the purpose of the Academie Royale de France?
To reinforce the classical bent that Fren ch art had received under Francis I, and cleanse it from Flemish influences, Colbert and Charles Le Brun set up in Rome the Academie Royale de France (1666). Students who had won the Prix de Rome in the Paris academies were sent to Italy, and were#N#maintained there for five years at the expense of the French government. They were required to rise at five o’clock in the morning and to retire at ten o’clock at night; they were trained in copying and imitating classical and Renaissance models; they were expected to produce a “masterpiece” (in the guild sense) every three months; and when they returned to France the state had first option on their services. The result of this fostering and nationalization of art was an impressive, overwhelming production of palaces, churches, statues, pictures, tapestries, pottery, medallions, engravings, and coins, all stamped with the pride and taste-often with the features-of Le Roi Solei!. It was not a subjection of French art to Rome, as some complained; it was a subjection of Roman art to Louis XIV. The style aimed to be classical, for that style agreed with the majesty of states and kings. Colbert poured French money into Italy to buy classical or Renaissance art. Everything was done to transport the glory of the Roman emperors to the King and capital of France. The result#N#amazed the world.
Why did Mazarin put his hoard into art?
Mazarin had put part of his hoard into art more likely than money to escape depreciation. His fine Italian taste shared in forming the classical bias of the King, and it was probably he who taught Louis XIV that it redounded to the glory of a ruler to accumulate, display, and foster art.
When did the Academie Royale de l'Architecture start?
In 1671 he established the Academie Royale de l’ Architecture, where artists were induced to build and decorate in Ie bon gout approved by the King. In all these societies the artisans were brought under the direction of artists, and these under the guidance of one policy and style.
Who were the favored models of art?
Raphael among the italians, Poussin among the French, were the favored models; every painting was judged by the canons derived from their art. Le Brun and Sebastien Bourdon formulated these rules; they exalted line above color, discipline above originality, order above freedom; the task of the artist was not to.
Who had a hundred paintings?
Pierre Crozat, a banker, had a hundred paintings by Titian , a hundred by Veronese, two hundred by Rubens, over a hundred by Vandyck. Fouquet, as we have seen, amassed paintings, statues, and lesser objects of art at Vaux, with more discrimination than discretion. Louis, destroying him, inherited his acquisitions;
What did Louis XIV appreciate?
A hard-working and meticulous ruler who oversaw his programs down to the last detail, Louis XIV nevertheless appreciated art, literature, music, theater and sports.
What did Louis XIV do to the French government?
His finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683), implemented reforms that sharply reduced the deficit and fostered the growth of industry, while his war minister, the Marquis de Louvois (1641-1691), expanded and reorganized the French army. Louis also managed to pacify and disempower the historically rebellious nobles, who had fomented no less than 11 civil wars in four decades, by luring them to his court and habituating them to the opulent lifestyle there.
What were the aristocrats expected to do at the Palace of Versailles?
At the Palace of Versailles, aristocrats were expected to compete for the privilege of watching Louis XIV wake up, eat meals and prepare for bed. During the early years of Louis XIV’s reign, Anne and Mazarin introduced policies that further consolidated the monarchy’s power, angering nobles and members of the legal aristocracy.
How did Louis XIV die?
On September 1, 1715, four days before his 77th birthday, Louis XIV died of gangrene at Versailles. His reign had lasted 72 years, longer than that of any other known European monarch, and left an indelible mark on the culture, history and destiny of France. His 5-year-old great-grandson succeeded him as Louis XV.
What did Louis XIV control?
Louis XIV Assumes Control of France. The Arts and the Royal Court Under Louis XIV. Louis XIV and Foreign Policy. Louis XIV and Religion. Death of Louis XIV. The reign of France’s Louis XIV (1638-1715), known as the Sun King, lasted for 72 years, longer than that of any other known European sovereign. In that time, he transformed the monarchy, ...
What was Louis XIV's foreign policy?
In 1667 Louis XIV launched the War of Devolution (1667-1668), the first in a series of military conflicts that characterized his aggressive approach to foreign policy, by invading the Spanish Netherlands, which he claimed as his wife’s inheritance.
How many children did Louis XIV have?
A diplomatic necessity more than anything else, the union produced six children, of whom only one, Louis (1661-1711), survived to adulthood. (A number of illegitimate offspring resulted from Louis XIV’s affairs with a string of official and unofficial mistresses.) READ MORE: 9 Things You May Not Know About Louis XIV.
What is Louis XIV known for?
Today he remains the symbol of absolute monarchy of the classical age.
How old was Louis XIV when he became king?
Louis XIV succeeded his father as king of France on May 14, 1643, at the age of four years eight months. According to the laws of the kingdom, he became not only the master but the owner of the bodies and property of 19 million subjects.
How old was Louis XIV when he acceded to the throne?
Louis XIV succeeded his father as king of France on May 14, 1643, at the age of four years eight months . According to the laws of the kingdom, he became not only the master but the owner of the bodies and property of 19 million subjects.
Why did Louis XIV marry Marie-Thérèse?
He finally submitted to the exigencies of politics and in 1660 married Marie-Thérèse of Austria, daughter of King Philip IV of Spain, in order to ratify peace between their two countries. The childhood of Louis XIV was at an end, but no one believed him capable of seizing the reins of power.
What was Louis the Great's love for Mazarin's niece?
In 1658 Louis faced the great conflict between love and duty, a familiar one for princes of that period. He struggled with himself for two years over his love for Mazarin’s niece, Marie Mancini.
Who was the king of France in 1653?
In 1653 Mazarin was victorious over the rebels and then proceeded to construct an extraordinary administrative apparatus with Louis as his pupil. The young king also acquired Mazarin ’s partiality for the arts, elegance, and display.
Who backed Louis XIV?
He was backed up first by the great ministers Jean-Baptiste Colbert, marquis de Louvois, and Hugues de Lionne, among whom he fostered dissension, and later by men of lesser capacity. For 54 years Louis devoted himself to his task eight hours a day; not the smallest detail escaped his attention. He wanted to control everything from court etiquette to troop movements, from road building to theological disputes. He succeeded because he faithfully reflected the mood of a France overflowing with youth and vigour and enamoured of grandeur.
What did Louis XIV do to elevate his status?
Louis did everything in his power to elevate his status. He practiced fencing and vaulting, and trained for hours daily with his personal dancing master, Pierre Beauchamp. It was more than mere exercise: According to the period’s political theory, the state of France was literally embodied by its ruler.
What did Louis XIV believe?
He believed that God had granted him direct authority, and he fashioned himself after Apollo, the Greek god of the sun.
Why did Louis XIV create ballets de cour?
The ballets de cour were an extension of everyday court etiquette, all designed to keep the aristocracy perpetually nervous and literally on their toes. Pushing ballet forward was more than a power move at home—it was a way to show the rest of Europe that France was the center of high culture. Louis wanted world leaders to admire France’s artistic achievements as much as they admired the country’s military might.
Why did Louis XIV think nobles couldn't overthrow the government?
Louis XIV’s theory was that nobles couldn’t overthrow the government if they were too busy attending to trifling matters of etiquette. If nobles spent all of their energy trying to maintain their status, they wouldn’t have time or ability to rise up against the monarchy. And dance was one of the many ways Louis was able to keep the nobility in their place.
Why did Louis XIV turn Versailles into a prison?
He turned Versailles into a gilded prison, calling in nobles from their far-away estates and forcing them to stay at court, where he could keep a close eye on them.
What did Louis the Sun King do?
Louis called himself the “Sun King”—the star at the center of France’s universe—and ensured everybody knew it. He formed his own army and stripped aristocrats of their former military duties. As an absolute monarch, he declared: “I am the state.”. Louis did everything in his power to elevate his status.
How long did the Ballet de la Nuit last?
The performance, which consisted of 43 mini-ballets, lasted 12 hours and stretched overnight into dawn, with an elaborate set including chariots crossing the skies, winged horses dipping in and out of clouds, and monsters arising from waves. At the end of the performance, the Sun (played by Louis, encrusted in jewels and topped with ostrich feathers) comes to vanquish the Night. Louis would repeat the performance six more times over one month.
What did Louis XIV appreciate?
Louis XIV also appreciated the arts and, through his support, there was great cultural development during his reign. Know more about the one of the most famous monarchs in history by studying the 10 major accomplishments of Louis XIV.
What did Louis XIV do to make France stronger?
Upon becoming the de facto ruler of France after the death of Cardinal Mazarin, Louis implemented a wide range of reforms to make his country financially and militarily strong. He led France in several major wars and by the middle of his reign he had established his country as the most powerful nation in Europe.
How did Louis XIV reform the French army?
Not only was the size of the army considerably increased, it was also reformed into a professional, disciplined and well-trained force which was completely controlled by the state. Aristocracy no longer had monopoly over senior military positions with merit being given its due importance. The navy, considered a weakness of France, was also modernized and grew from a squadron of 20 ships to a fleet of 270 by 1677. A strong navy allowed France to adopt an aggressive expansionist policy in both colonization and commerce.
How did Louis XIV change France?
Remote provinces in France had developed a culture of governing themselves. Louis used intendants, or administrative officers, to establish royal power in the provinces. He increased their numbers and functions; and used them to reform regional financial, judicial and legal systems. Intendants reported to the center and carried out its orders in the provinces. By diminishing the power of the nobility and eliminating feudalism, Louis XIV transformed France into a centralized state and became one of its most powerful monarchs.
How much did Louis XIV tax in 1665?
The revenue from indirect taxation progressed from 26 million in 1661 to 55 million in 1665. Towards the end of his reign, under stress from wars, Louis XIV imposed direct taxes on the aristocratic population for the first time in French history.
What was the name of the law that was introduced by Louis XIV to establish uniform laws?
Louis XIV introduced a series of legal reforms, known as Code Louis, to establish uniform laws throughout France. Civil law was reformed in 1667; criminal law was reformed in 1670; a Maritime Code was introduced in 1672 ...
Why did Louis XIV feel betrayed?
This was one of the primary reasons which led to the Franco-Dutch War (1672–78) between France and its allies which included England and Sweden; and the Dutch Republic and its allies which included Spain. France was mostly successful in the war and established itself as the dominant power in Europe. When the peace treaty was signed in 1678, Spain ceded the Franche-Comté and some cities in Flanders and Hainaut to France thus extending Louis XIV’s empire. The Franco-Dutch War established Louis XIV as the most powerful monarch in Europe.
What did Louis XIV do to the arts?
The king instituted policies on domestic and foreign affairs, and advocated for the advancement of the arts, establishing numerous centers for artistic studies.
What were the achievements of King Louis XIV?
What Were the Accomplishments of King Louis XIV? King Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, established a more centralized government, refined the absolute monarchy that defined the French method of governance, created a court at Versailles and led France through four long wars.
How old was Louis XIV when he became king?
King Louis XIV assumed the throne as King of France at the age of 4 , following in his father's footsteps.
What happened to the royal family after Louis XIV?
Not long after assuming the throne, the king and his family faced the onset of the French civil war, which brought humiliation and anger to members of the royal family, forcing them to leave their palace in Paris. Upon return, King Louis XIV appointed himself chief minister of the court, and excluded immediate family members from holding positions ...
What was Louis XIV's new deal?
Louis XIV set out to change that, and, over the course of his long reign, he succeeded brilliantly. Luxury was Louis’s New Deal: The furniture, textile, clothing, and jewelry industries he established not only provided jobs for his subjects, but made France the world’s leader in taste and technology. His shrewd finance minister, Jean-Baptiste ...
What is the 300th anniversary of Louis XIV's death?
September 1 marks the 300th anniversary of the death of King Louis XIV, France’s longest-reigning monarch. Logging 72 years on the throne, Louis eclipsed Queen Victoria by a decade. But this tercentenary also commemorates a beginning: the birth of haute couture as people know it today, seasonal, corporate, media-driven, and—above all—French.
Why did the King and Colbert use fashion plates?
recognized that images had the power to shape perception.” Louis subsidized the production of fashion plates by major French artists and engravers in order to promote French luxury goods and culture, both at home and abroad. Rather than being purely descriptive and informative, the captions of these plates—aimed at an affluent and sophisticated international audience—are arch and amusing, laced with sarcasm and sexual innuendo. Many give the figures elaborate backstories and interior monologues wholly unsupported by the innocuous images, while letting the clothes speak for themselves. They set the tone for countless fashion plates that followed, and such verbiage can still be found today in Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire (to name three English-language publications that owe more than just their titles to France).
What was the Sun King's standard of living?
The lavish standard of living and the intricate program of etiquette the Sun King introduced continued to define the French monarchy right up until the French Revolution of 1789.
Where did the French aristocrats buy their clothes?
Just as French aristocrats imported their fashions from Spain, they bought their tapestries in Brussels, their lace and mirrors in Venice, and their silk in Milan. They didn’t have much choice; France simply wasn’t producing luxury goods of a comparable quality, and it didn’t have the political, economic, or cultural clout to dictate fashions to other countries.
Who said fashions were to France what the mines of Peru were to Spain?
His shrewd finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, famously said that “fashions were to France what the mines of Peru were to Spain”—in other words, the source of an extremely lucrative domestic and export commodity.
Who was the Sun King?
The king himself was the ultimate arbiter of style. A theater buff, Louis took his self-selected sobriquet “the Sun King” from his youthful performances as Apollo in lavish court ballets, and his love of dramatic artifice and splendor infused his offstage wardrobe.
Early Life and Reign of Louis XIV
Louis XIV Assumes Control of France
- After Mazarin’s death in 1661, Louis XIV broke with tradition and astonished his court by declaring that he would rule without a chief minister. He viewed himself as the direct representative of God, endowed with a divine right to wield the absolute power of the monarchy. To illustrate his status, he chose the sun as his emblem and cultivated the image of an omniscient and infallible “Roi-So…
The Arts and The Royal Court Under Louis XIV
- A hard-working and meticulous ruler who oversaw his programs down to the last detail, Louis XIV nevertheless appreciated art, literature, music, theater and sports. He surrounded himself with some of the greatest artistic and intellectual figures of his time, including the playwright Molière (1622-1673), the painter Charles Le Brun (1619-1690) and ...
Louis XIV and Foreign Policy
- In 1667 Louis XIV launched the War of Devolution (1667-1668), the first in a series of military conflicts that characterized his aggressive approach to foreign policy, by invading the Spanish Netherlands, which he claimed as his wife’s inheritance. Under pressure from the English, Swedish and especially the Dutch, France retreated and returned the region to Spain, gaining only some fr…
Louis XIV and Religion
- It was not only decades of warfare that weakened both France and its monarch during the latter half of Louis XIV’s reign. In 1685, the devoutly Catholic king revoked the Edict of Nantes, issued by his grandfather Henry IV in 1598, which had granted freedom of worship and other rights to French Protestants, known as Huguenots. With the Edict of Fontainebleau, Louis ordered the de…
Death of Louis XIV
- On September 1, 1715, four days before his 77th birthday, Louis XIV died of gangrene at Versailles. His reign had lasted 72 years, longer than that of any other known European monarch, and left an indelible mark on the culture, history and destiny of France. His 5-year-old great-grandson succeeded him as Louis XV.