Landscape 1740 - 1785

Louis Philippe Joseph, duc de Chartres, made this landscape on paper, but the date of its making is unknown. It shows a rather ordinary landscape, composed of a hill with trees and a modest house in the background. But to look at it more closely is to see the values of its time. In eighteenth-century France, the institution of the monarchy still shaped artistic production. Aristocrats like the Duke of Chartres took an active role in the arts, often as patrons, but also as creators. It was thought that art had a public role to play in society, in shaping social attitudes. Landscapes became popular, reflecting a progressive interest in nature and the pastoral life. These were often seen as antidotes to the corruption and artificiality of court life. The historian uses resources like letters, journals, and patronage records, to understand how art was embedded in its social and institutional context.