Royal Escutcheon of France c. 1768

Curator: This is Augustin Pajou’s Royal Escutcheon of France, a drawing held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels like a dream, all done in this delicate reddish hue, like a faded memory of royalty floating on clouds. Curator: The symbols are quite potent. We see angels supporting the French coat of arms, complete with fleur-de-lis and royal crown. "Le Bien Aimé" is inscribed on the banner. Editor: Ah, the “well-beloved.” It’s interesting to see these symbols of power rendered so gently. Almost as if power itself is a fragile, fleeting thing. Curator: These visual motifs clearly speak to a longing for legitimacy, projecting divine favor upon the monarch through angelic figures. Editor: Yes, it’s all a bit melancholic, isn't it? A rosy, idealized vision of power, perhaps already past its prime even when it was made. Curator: Indeed. It highlights the complex relationship between visual symbols, political power, and collective memory. Editor: Looking at it this way, it is more than just a royal emblem; it is a study on aspiration, fragility, and the fleeting nature of things.