Gezicht op de stad en het Paleis van Versailles 1742 - 1801

This print of the city and Palace of Versailles was made by Georg Balthasar Probst in the 18th century. It reflects a period where Versailles stood as a symbol of royal power and extravagant wealth, yet the artist also captures the daily life unfolding around it. The composition invites us to consider class distinctions. Aristocrats are depicted leisurely enjoying the landscape, while the city represents the working population that sustained the palace's grandeur. This scene also subtly touches on the gendered spaces of the time, where men and women occupied distinct roles and areas within the social structure. The image evokes a sense of the complex relationship between power, leisure, and labor that defined 18th-century France. It's a reminder that the beauty and opulence of Versailles were built upon a foundation of social inequalities.