Twee naakte vrouwen zittend op voetstuk before 1716

Nicolas Pierre Loir made this print, "Two Naked Women Sitting on a Pedestal," sometime in the 17th century. It embodies a moment in the history of representation, in which the classical tradition of the nude became more aligned with the absolutist ambitions of the French court. Classical imagery was a vital visual language. It could ennoble its patron, even suggest a divine right to rule. Note here the theatrical arrangement, the idealized bodies of the women, and the sculptural elements—all arranged to convey authority and power. Consider how knowledge of the culture of the court of Louis XIV can illuminate our understanding of this image. Records of artistic patronage, theoretical treatises on art and politics, and surviving examples of courtly spectacle can all help us better understand the social and institutional contexts for this image.