ABSTRACT
This chapter offers an overview of French and foreign artistic production under Louis XIV from a historical perspective, and examines both its aims and political impact. It provides an overview of the shifting struggles that surrounded the image of Louis XIV in late seventeenth century Europe. The chapter describes a tight selection of representative examples to focus on the production of images and counter-images. Louis and his ministers implemented well-tried strategies dating back to the Valois period. These included the identification of the king with the sun, in which the sun was pictured as governing the course of other heavenly bodies, and as a source of life-giving energy. An additional consequence of the penetration of Italian art into Louis era was the building of ceremonial rooms and the decoration of their ceilings with large paintings. In the early 1680's, however, France's enemies were surprised that Louis XIV retreated from the image and pamphlet battle that was raging in Europe.
