1. Absolute Power and the Aristocratic Style (ca. 1550–1750)
Chapter 21
Absolute Power and the
Aristocratic Style
(ca. 1550–1750)

2. Absolutism: A Historical Context
“Absolutism” is another way of saying “Early Modern Era” in Western history
Absolutist rulers ruled absolutely: complete control of the government, treasury, and military
Ruled with the tacit endorsement of God
Centralized bureaucracy and a standing army were the keys to success for an absolutist ruler
Typified in the arts by the classical baroque style as it emerged in France
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3. Louis XIV and French Absolutism
The Palace of Versailles: symbol of royal absolutism
Twelve miles from central Paris
Enormous palace requiring the labor of 36,000 for almost twenty years
Complete with almost seven square miles of surrounding gardens
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4. Art Patronage and the Academies
Louis XIV as an absolutist ruler was the central arbiter of fashion and artistic norm
Louis was a voracious art collector and drove the economics of art production in France during his reign
The Academy of Painting and Sculpture
The Academy of Dance
The Academy of Sciences
The Academy of Music
The Academy of Architecture
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5. Academic Art: Poussin and Lorrain
Nicolas Poussin – leading exponent of French academic art; preferred lofty subjects from Greco-Roman myths; formalized rules that would govern academic art for centuries
Claude (Gellée) Lorrain and his contemporary Poussin were largely responsible for the ideal-landscape genre
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6. The Aristocratic Portrait
Portraiture went hand-in-hand with the baroque style
The classic example of Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud
Focus is outward appearance of power, not of personality
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7. Aristocratic Painting
Appointed painters/visiting painters to royal households include Velázquez, Rubens, and van Dyck
Focus on the romantic aspects of Greco-Roman myths and idealized portraiture: van Dyck’s equestrian portrait of Charles I
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8. Absolutism and the Aristocratic Style beyond Europe
Suleiman and the Ottoman Empire
Moguls of India
China under Ming and Manchu (Qing) rule
Tokugawa Japan
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