Jules Hardouin-Mansart c. 17th century

Editor: This is Gérard Edelinck’s portrait of Jules Hardouin-Mansart. The detail in the wig is incredible, but it feels like a statement about power, doesn’t it? What do you see when you look at this image? Curator: Absolutely. The wig, the lace, the opulent fabric--these are all carefully constructed symbols of power in 17th-century France. But what kind of power? Was it earned, or was it inherited? This portrait makes me think about the relationship between art, patronage, and the construction of identity within the French court. Editor: So, it’s less about Mansart as an individual and more about the system he represents? Curator: Precisely. The image is less about him and more about the regime. How does this portrait serve the interests of Louis XIV and his vision of absolute monarchy? What does it conceal about the lives of those excluded from this circle of power? Editor: I hadn't considered the power dynamics so explicitly. Thank you. Curator: These portraits are carefully orchestrated to project an aura of authority, but also to obscure the realities of the world in which they were created.