In France, during the second half of the 1600s, Louis XIV (who reigned from 1661 to 1715), also known as the “Sun King” was centralizing the government around his own person and using art and architecture in the service of the monarchy.The French monarchs ruled with absolute power, meaning that there was little or no check on what they could and could not do. There was no parliament that would have balanced the power of the king (as there was in England). The King also ruled, so it was believed, by divine right. That is, that the power to rule came from God.

Louis XIV sought to use art and culture generally as a way to wield political power, seeking to make himself the powerful center of all of France, and France the powerful center of all of Europe. It was during his reign that French food and French fashion came to symbolize a standard of excellence.

In an effort to use art in support of the state, Louis XIV established the Royal Academy of Fine Arts to control matters of art and artistic education by imposing a classicizing style based on the art of Nicholas Poussin, as well as other regulations and standards on art and artists.

Versailles
Louis XIV also built an opulent new palace, Versailles which became the King’s official residence in 1682. Versailles is 14 miles southwest of Paris and contains 700 rooms! The entire palace is oriented toward the sun. It is probably impossible to get a sense of the enormity and luxury of Versailles without going there. You have probably heard of the famous Galerie des Glaces (or Hall of Mirrors), a room with 17 mirrors facing the windows that look out onto fabulous gardens. The ceiling of this room is decorated with paintings extolling the virtues and achievements of Louis himself. Click here to see an interactive view of this space.

Watch this 2 1/2 minute video about the history of Versailles.