In light of the current political climate and the recent concerns regarding the responsibilities of monarchy, it seems an appropriate time to revisit two other centuries, and “read” monarchy through the lens of two magnificent portraits.

Monarchy, historically, is based on birthright/heredity. A monarch had sovereignty, complete authority (with the exception of constitutional monarchy). He or she was the symbol of the society, its culture, philosophy, religion, territory and identity. A monarch was usually surrounded by a court of nobility or ministers linked by heredity or appointment. A monarch was head of the Church, owned the land, and thus the wealth, and was respected, honored, trusted, and adored – or not.

In 1701, Hyacinthe Rigaud was summoned by the King’s grandson, Philip V, recently the legitimate heir to the Spanish throne, to paint this portrait of Louis XIV.

Look closely.            Inspect.                    Smile.                      Wow!

This is a very serious portrait.

It, and a copy, cost 12,000 pounds, a charge recorded in the royal accounts of September, 1702. 

This was $70,000 in 1702, the most expensive portrait ever painted.

It tells us most of what we want to know, and know already, about Louis XIV.

Starting left – the column, a powerful image from antiquity, symbolic of strength and power, the spiritual connection of heaven and earth. At the base of the column is the goddess Themis, holding a set of scales.

The hand of justice is on the stool, along with the crown.

The scepter of Louis’ grandfather, Henry IV, is used as a cane for balance.

The heavy, red (described as purple) brocade is a tasseled canopy.

The royal blue satin coronation robe with the fleur de lys is covering the stool and draping, with an ermine lining, the King.

The frilly lace shirt, the brocades, the red shoes with diamond buckles, (he was 5’4”), and the white silk stockings with garters are the imperial fashion.

(Louis was a former sword dancer and ballet dancer and insisted that his legs be shown as true – thin and muscular.)

The sword of Charlemagne conveys the Roman (Empire’s) expectation of military service and strength.

The necklace is of the Order of the Holy Spirit.

And then the King’s face, looking slightly down but making contact with his subjects, portrays sagging jowls, and a jutting chin that could be a slight indication of missing teeth.

His leonine wig, a double-peak periwig, the height of fashion, is one of 1,000, and is black black black. 

The overall fashionable and overstated effeminate pose was the norm in the Baroque period and was a reminder of power and rule.

Absolutism. 

“L’etat, c’est moi.”

Think about the tactile and sensual extravagances – ermine, silk, velvet, satin, stones (diamonds), rugs, lace, ruffles, marble, brocade, tassels, and curls of hair.

Think about temperature, the heat of the setting, the smells of bodies, perspiration, linseed oil and pigments, voices, entertainment, and a banquet of edibles.

What are you thinking?

Too much….? 

Narcissism, flamboyance, spectacle, indulgence, propaganda?

YET an achievement beyond the imagination.

The portrait was begun in March of 1701. 

It was painted from life. 

Louis was 63. He had gout, jowls, a double chin, and was recently suffering from rotting teeth.

Yet, he approved of, loved, and worshiped this portrait, claiming it was a perfect resemblance. He had an exact copy sent to his grandson, various facsimiles produced to distribute to his various courts and territories, and engravings made, but kept the original for himself in the Throne Room at Versailles. It was too beautiful to part with.

“I am the State.”

I own France, the colonies, territories, buildings, jewels, money, all of the land and all of you.

I rule by Divine Right. My authority comes from God.

He was the SUN KING. The world revolved around him. 

And there is some truth to that!  

By 1650, the fortunes of Holland and Spain had declined and France was the most powerful and culturally rich country in Europe. French was declared the international language. France controlled trade, and set every standard of values in Europe.

Louis XIV also had power over the nobility. They were encouraged to live extravagantly and when they depleted their funds, Louis controlled them, requiring their residence in Versailles in order to squelch rebellion and reinforce his statutes as the supreme monarch.

He used ministers who were already obedient.

His was a regime of stability, not freedom.

His thoughts, tastes, manners, rules, demands, and achievements dominated France.

All opulence, excesses and etiquette of his and the nation’s were to feed his appetite for glory.

Is this executive power?

Louis XIV (1643-1715) reigned for 73 years, 3 months and 18 days. He inherited the throne when his father, Louis XIII, died. He was three years old. His mother, Anne of Austria, served as his regent. He took charge of the throne when he was 22.

After he died France realized that for 3 generations they had known nothing else. The Sun was always there.

An aura of melancholy set in.

He is still the longest reigning monarch in Europe.

A century later, a self-proclaimed monarch crowns himself, holding the crown of Charlemagne over his head while he continued to wear the laurel wreath, the crown of the Roman Empire.

This was a period of Neoclassical Revival, recalling the revered Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar.

Napoleon summoned Pope Pius VII to come from Rome for the coronation. It was December 2, 1804 in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

(To enjoy this ceremony, look up “The Coronation of Napoleon” by Jacques-Louis David.)

Imagine.

Napoleone di Buonaparte was born in Corsica (1769-1821), into a family of minor nobility, the year that Corsica, previously belonging to Italy, became a French province.

His native language was Italian and his accent was heavily Corsican. But the time he was 10, and living in France, he was teaching himself French. By the age of 16, he had joined the French army.

He matriculated, was studious, somewhat withdrawn, yet described as fidgety and restless.

Although a Corsican nationalist, he supported the French Revolution, and by the age of 24 he was a general in the French army and had command of the Italian campaign at age 26.

His height, at 5’6”, was average for a French man at the time.

Two days after marrying Josephine, a widow, in 1796, he was off on his campaigns. He was a brilliant military leader and strategist, fearless, daring, commanding, courageous and difficult. He captured by storm most of Europe and North Africa. When he crossed the Alps (so did Hannibal and Charlemagne) and surprised the Italians by invading from the North, he became an instant hero.

But it is the portrait of “Napoleon on His Imperial Throne”, oil on canvas, 102×64, 1806, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867), that is a blatant image of absolutism.

The most striking, and alarming, feature is the throne. This is the same throne, “borrowed”, from God the Father in the “Ghent Altarpiece”, by Hubert and Jan van Eyck. 

Napoleon is assuming the throne of the Divine.

Napoleon’s particular pose is that of Phidias’ statue (435 BCE) of Zeus at Olympia, only Zeus is bare-chested.

Napoleon is claiming lineage with both pagan and Christian Gods.

His royal coronation robe, embroidered with the gold bees of his Empire (not fleur de lys), is reminiscent of the luxurious wealth and extravagance of Louis XIV.

We see velvet, the ermine hood under the collar of the Légion d’honneur, the necklace of the Order of the Holy Spirit, gold tassels and brocade, white brocade shoes, a cushioned pillow should someone kneel before him (and that would be Josephine), the scepter of Charlemagne, the left hand of justice of the Medieval kings, the coronation sword leaning against his knee, and the rug of the Imperial Eagle.

Some are familiar.

Deserving of this power and glory?

Napoleon’s coronation as Emperor of France was as a “Nationalist Monarch”, or so the French intended. Instead, he became a dictator. His authoritarianism was not inherited.

(He was also crowned King of Italy in Milan in 1805.)

He distributed power, both in the army and the government, to various family members as rulers of captured states. 

Napoleon crowned his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain in 1808 and his sister was Queen of Naples. His brothers, Lucian and Louis were also given positions of authority and support.

Nepotism.

So, what about this frontal, frozen, flat, and exceedingly detailed painting?

It was scorched with public ridicule in the 1806 Paris Salon. Even Napoleon disliked it. Why?

The French did not like the religious violation (“The Ghent Altarpiece” was in the Louvre then, booty from Napoleon’s invasion of the Netherlands).

They thought his pallor was grey and that the likeness was poor.

His marble face is effeminate, his composure ridiculous for a military man, his pose painful, and the brushwork tight.

The tastes of the French had changed. They were no longer impressed by the academic style of technical achievement. They were leaning more towards tonal paintings of mood, emotion and warmth, more romantic. And they were spoiled by the softer edges and mood-altering light of the Renaissance and Baroque paintings, now on display in the Louvre, treasures from Napoleon’s campaigns in Italy, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands. 

Napoleon, a Catholic by birth and baptized, was a self-proclaimed “deist”, believing in God as creator and in the reason of the Enlightenment and the prevailing laws of nature over faith and revelation. 

When Josephine failed to produce an heir, Napoleon had their marriage annulled and married Maria Louise of Austria, age 18. 

They had a son, Napoleon II.

After his Catholic marriage to the Austrian Maria Louise, Duchess of Parma, Napoleon was excommunicated from the church but was able to receive reconciliation and Last Rites before his death.

This painting is in the Musée de l’Armée in the Hôtel des Invalides,  where Napoleon is buried in a crypt under the dome.

This portrait was never given to Napoleon.

The House of Bonaparte was founded by Napoleon I in 1804. His descendants include Napoleon II, Napoleon III (married to Eugenie), and their son Louis Napoleon, Prince of Imperial France, known also as Napoleon IV.

This is non-fiction.