Baroque France

Rebellions in 1649: These rebellions led King Louis XIV (1638 – 1715) to distrust both the nobility and the common people.
Control of Nobility: Louis XIV controlled the nobility through several means:
- Forming a large, standing army of (\frac{1}{4}) of a million men.
- Requiring the nobility's presence at court.
- Making his courtiers financially dependent upon him.
Le Roi Soleil (The Sun King): Louis XIV was known as the Sun King due to his complete dominance over his kingdom.

The Louvre in Paris had served as the French Royal Palace since the Middle Ages and has been converted to a museum.
King Louis XIV felt vulnerable in Paris.
- He moved the French government to Versailles (Vair-sigh), 12 miles southeast of Paris.
- He was familiar with Versailles, as his family had a hunting lodge there.
Construction of Versailles: For 20 years, 36,000 workers built the Palace of Versailles.
- It became a symbol of King Louis XIV’s absolute power and authority.

Commission: The Palace at Versailles was commissioned by King Louis XIV.
Unofficial Capital: The town of Versailles became the unofficial capital of France.
Symbolism: Versailles symbolized the king’s absolute power, being:
- Unequaled in grandeur.
- Unparalleled in scale and size.
- Unsurpassed in decoration and ornament.
Impact on Nobility: It was designed to awe the French nobility and reassert the king’s absolute status.
Ordered Nature: Even the gardens were elaborately ordered and regulated.

Details of the Portrait:
- Painted in 1701, when King Louis XIV was 63 years old, though depicted as younger.
- The golden setting emphasizes his link to the sun, hence the title "Sun King."
- The golden rug and red drapery, lined with gold, allude to his role as the Sun King.
- The figure at the base of the column represents Justice.
- Both Justice and Louis XIV hold the scepter of justice, a French royal symbol.
- The fleur-de-lis (Fler d’lee), the symbol of France, is on the exterior of his coronation robe.
- The robe is lined with expensive ermine fur.
- The sword symbolizes him to be a war hero who has fought for France.
Louis XIV’s Beliefs: He believed in French expansion and sought to claim lands around France, including invasions into Spanish-ruled Flanders.
Symbolic Importance: In the portrait, the sword is more prominent than the crown.

Royal Academy of Dance: Founded, leading to the establishment of classical dance positions.
Royal Academy of Music: Established for the writing and performance of music and operas.
Regulation of Arts: Art and architecture were regularized, organized, and placed in service of the state.
Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture: Founded in 1648 to establish an official French style of art.

Role at Court: Lully was primarily responsible for entertaining King Louis XIV.
Ballets: He wrote ballets in which the king himself danced.
Background: Born in Italy but moved to France at a young age.
Royal Academy of Music: As head of the newly-established Royal Academy of Music, he held a monopoly on sung dramas in France.
Ballet de la Nuit: King Louis XIV is pictured as the Sun in the Ballet de la Nuit (1653).

Molière: A significant playwright of 17th century France whose plays are still performed.
- Style: Known for writing farces and satires and bringing comedy to the center stage and made character central rather than plot.
Tartuffe: An ironic comedy based on the naiveté of the upper classes, particularly the king.