Lodewijk XV, koning van Frankrijk 1750

Curator: Here we have "Lodewijk XV, koning van Frankrijk" by François Joseph Marteau, a baroque portrait crafted around 1750 in metal using relief techniques. Editor: Well, the immediate impact is one of austerity. The stark relief against the grey metal. There's a clear binary division in the two sides on display too. One shows power in profile and the other something natural. Curator: Exactly, the piece carries several important symbols of kingship and natural resources. The profile, of course, depicts King Louis XV. Editor: Semiotically, the King's image provides a kind of currency. It's quite literally been stamped onto it. It signifies both sovereignty and also an aestheticized, formalized identity. Curator: Yes, and notice the laurel around the inscription. Laurels are symbols of victory and honour extending from antiquity through the Renaissance. They represent the king’s strength and triumphs. But it’s the other side with the tree that draws me in. The natural resource which the kind draws power from. Editor: Yes, there's this stark asymmetry at work when paired against the profile, as if to offset the regal presence. It suggests, perhaps, something more enduring. Something natural and not shaped by human hands. Curator: Trees, especially those bearing fruit, represented prosperity and hope and continuity. Consider it against the context of mid-18th century France: an era defined by extravagant wealth among nobles alongside mass unrest among its lower citizens. I suspect the tree might represent France and the kind might represent stability. Editor: An interesting point. I am compelled by how that visual language presents power so unequivocally, how it balances both constructed authority and appeals to concepts of "natural" prosperity, despite the stark contrast within its composition. The craftsmanship is definitely working hard here! Curator: It offers us a lens to view both the man and his monarchy through enduring symbols. It’s amazing what images carry through time, don’t you agree? Editor: Indeed. This piece feels like a loaded capsule of meaning, expressed through a really controlled aesthetic that allows the weight of its imagery to come across, rather than trying to hide anything.