La Colonade 

Jean-Baptiste Rigaud created this print of La Colonade, a garden at Versailles, in the late 18th or early 19th century. It depicts an elite social space, meticulously planned and set apart from the everyday world. Rigaud’s image constructs meaning through its architectural features: the colonnade itself, with its classical references to power and empire, combined with flowing water features. The scene presents an ideal of cultivated nature, mirroring the social cultivation of those who inhabit it. At the center of the garden we see groupings of elegantly dressed people, framed by the geometry of the architecture. Images like this were important in shaping the identity of the French court and projecting an image of sophistication and power. Art historians look to sources like court records, architectural plans, and social histories to unpack the way such images functioned within the structures of their time. This helps us understand art as deeply embedded in its social and institutional context.