The Palace of the Sun: The Louvre of Louis XIV.
The Art Bulletin › Vol. 76 Nbr. 4, December 1994
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The Palace of the Sun: The Louvre of Louis XIV.
Peter Burke's encompassing look at royal imagery during the reign of Louis XIV is the work of a historian. It is informed by new methodologies, yet it is an accessible account that reminds us of the advantages in certain cases of standing on the high ground for a sweeping look at the terrain. Robert Berger's meticulously researched work on the Louvre provides a contrasting example of a close-up view of a single work from the same period. In addition to its own merits, Berger's study can be useful here in filling out and testing the broader means and ends pursued by Burke. However, since Burke's methods are potentially applicable to a greater number of works and to periods beyond the 17th century, this review is for the most part concerned with his novel presentation of materials and his insights into the relationship between art and power.
By art-historical standards Burke's is a compact volume--just over 200 pages in the main text, which includes 88 illustrations. Despite its relative brevity, a spectrum of images, documents, genres, events, and characters is assembled to represent the "fabrication" of the king's public persona from his birth in 1638 to his de...See the full content of this document
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