Seating Arrangement of the Chevaliers of the Order of the Holy Spirit 1634

Abraham Bosse created this print, “Seating Arrangement of the Chevaliers of the Order of the Holy Spirit,” in Paris sometime in the mid-17th century. Bosse worked as an engraver during a period of immense political and religious upheaval in France. This print meticulously documents the seating arrangement for an important ceremony of the Order of the Holy Spirit, an elite chivalric order associated with the French monarchy. What is so fascinating about this image is the rigid hierarchy it displays. The seating plan, with its clear demarcation of space and status, reflects the deep social stratification of the time. The image is striking for what it includes, but also what is omitted. While the print celebrates the opulence and grandeur of the French court, there is an underlying sense of social control and exclusion. The highly structured seating arrangements are a stark reminder of the limited access to power and privilege in the era.