Ornemens de peinture et de sculptur (...) 1650 - 1713

Jean Berain, Chauveau, and Le Moine created this ornamental print—a design for painting and sculpture—sometime in the late 17th or early 18th century. It was a period when the decorative arts flourished, deeply intertwined with the political theater of the French court. Prints like this were not simply aesthetic exercises; they were tools for shaping identity and power. The elaborate designs promoted the grandeur of Louis XIV, reinforcing his image as the Sun King through allegorical representations of his reign. Notice how the cherubs and classical motifs evoke a sense of timeless authority. But beyond the surface, these ornaments tell a more complex story about the cultural landscape of the time. While the imagery appears universal, it was carefully crafted to appeal to a specific audience: the aristocratic elite. As viewers today, we might ask ourselves, whose stories are prioritized here, and whose are excluded? The design’s emotional resonance lies in its ability to transport us to a world of opulence and power, while simultaneously reminding us of the constructed nature of identity.