The realization of self, one’s own desires, and humankind were the revolutionary thoughts brought on by the Renaissance. The aftermath of these developed thoughts and concepts within the population of Europe was what allowed the monarchs of the 17th century to paint the image of divinity alongside monarchy: “the divine right to rule”, where the power dynamics between the church, God, religion, and the monarchy itself became increasingly blurred.
The Baroque era symbolized the celebration of the church; in more forms than one. It celebrated the insignificance of science, in protest to the thinkers Renaissance had given rise to. It aimed to establish and maintain the power of the church that had gripped Europe for centuries. When the grip seemed to have loosened over the years by the realization of the population; the desire to strengthen their hold became dire and of utmost importance. The usage of the monarchy to establish their strength and prove the Divinity is what is evident throughout the era; using King Louis XIV as the prime example. King Louis XIV further made use of the political and social situation at the time to his advantage: to show support to The Divine, and make use of science to reason with the people and establish authority over his reign.
Rococo, an era defined by luxury and the lighter themes of life as compared to the darker movements that had taken place in the past, was evidently at the rise in the time of King Louis XIV. The characters, layout, and settings acknowledge through various points in the series the oncoming of the ideals that the Rococo time period called for.
Versailles: The Aftermath of the Renaissance
Humanism, the realization of self and authority, and the importance of man in contrast to Divinity and Divine rule; the concepts nurtured by the era of Renaissance were captured intricately by the French Monarch King Louis XIV and portrayed like so in the BBC Two series: Versailles. Using the foundations laid down by the Renaissance, King Louis effectively made use of the political situation of his time to aid his rule. The church, which required assistance in authorizing and establishing their authority in Europe at the time, sought solace in King Louis XIV, who became the embodiment of their Divine Religion.
King Louis XIV declared his throne and right to rule as Divine, seeking support from the church and lending it just as well. King Louis XIV took immense advantage of the already developed mindset and effectively established his image as the representative of religion and Divinity, claiming so to strengthen his rule. The limits between man and God had been blurred to such an extent that the monarchy itself became a representation of the religion: the king’s word had become equal to that of God, and the service to the king was equal to that of service to your Lord. As clearly stated in the very first episode at (38:50), as the king was to become the manifestation of the divine religion, his dwelling was to be portrayed so as well.
“The Greeks knew what glory was: their buildings were temples for their gods. We will build a new temple…. A dwelling place of the divine and of the people.” (continued.)
This theme is also most explicably portrayed at 25:37 in the very first episode of the series: the king is seen seated behind a perforated screen as commoners and nobles alike gather in a chapel to pay homage to the Holy Lord (refer to Fig, 1, Appendix 1). The light illuminates a golden cross in the middle of the chapel, drawing away the emphasis from the King, who is seated behind it, through dark shadows and lighting provided only from within the chapel. This accentuates and exaggerates the theme: the king ruling behind the authority of Religion. This has effectively emphasized and implied the King’s tactic of creating the illusion of his obedience towards the church, whereas he may be the one with the upper hand.
This aspect is further highlighted by the presence of a large golden cross above the bed chambers of the King, symbolizing that being in the presence of the king is considered Holy and an act equal to that of worship. Furthermore, his bedchambers further adorn a praying alter, further accentuating his reliance on religious power to assert his authority. The intricacies and extravagance of his living quarters mirror and compete that of the chapel itself, further blurring the limits between the monarchy and religion once more (refer to Fig 2-3, Appendix One).
King Louis XIV’s presence is always shadowed by the presence of religious ornaments in the blurring backgrounds; including frescos and paintings that symbolize the importance of sacrifice to the church and religion (refer to Fig. 4-6, Appendix One).
The very beginning of the series starts with the dialogue ‘If you must find a paradise, you must build it yourself’, signifying Versailles as a representation of paradise itself; again overlapping Divine themes with that of the monarchy. The very heart of Versailles, its hall has a fresco portraying the ascent to heaven (refer to Fig. 6, Appendix One). The complete ornamentation of Versailles, gilded walls and doors, and ornate sculptures adorning the walls of every hallway add to the experience of it being the representation of paradise.
The King had made effective use of the existing mentality of the people of that era to appeal to them, to promote himself and his rule as the ideals of religion: by humanizing the scale of Divinity and Divine rule by embodying himself as the descendant and successor of such authority. The scale of religion and the embodiment of and manifestations of it had been decreased to such an intimate scale, in stark contrast to what it had been like in previous European rules.
Versailles: Reflection of Baroque Ideals
The baroque era was highlighted by the conflict between science and religion; the thinkers that the renaissance had given rise to had explored many areas of science and were beginning to question the authority of religion, with the focus shifting towards logic and reasoning. Once more we observe King Louis XIV making effective use of the opposite ideas as well; promoting himself to his people as the Sun King. He used logic, reasoning, and scientific analogies to appeal to his population that were vary of him, and once more strengthen his hold on his kingdom. This is observed in the very first episode, where the King’s architect symbolizes his palace (Versailles) and his presence as the Sun around which other aspects of reality must orbit (23:31):
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“You sire, are the Sun and around you circulate not just our celestial court but those who seek to harm you.”
The constant comparisons being drawn towards the King and the Sun, related to the population of his that were growing vary of the authority and corruption of the catholic church and were in growing favour of the Protestant, Great and Holy Rome. He appealed himself to them as such. This is highlighted by his continued monologue:
(continued): “A royal tabernacle of the Sun… With a great hall of light that will follow the sunrise, and shine to all corners of the globe, so they might all see the glory of France.”
Working so promote his own ideals of monarchy, King Louis XIV made clever use of preexisting Baroque ideals to conjure up this dialogue and comparison of himself as the Sun, to follow along the dialogues of the mindsets of the people at the time.
The King’s portrayal as the Sun King is often exaggerated and emphasized by the presence of light illuminating his presence. The presence of skylights and exact position of light as that of the stance of the King lay importance to these aspects as well.
Hence, the Great Hall of Mirrors of Versailles made use of the kingdom’s finest artisans and sculptors, to create a hall of illusions: utilizing the scientific ideals laid down by the mannerist movement to establish his authority and likeliness over France. The strategic placement of the hall in contrast to the rest of the palace makes use of the movements of the Sun, and that being emphasized and exaggerated by the presence of mirrors and to create the illusion of endlessness of light and the hallway itself: all of this contributes into creating an ethereal experience, making efficient use of the scientific analogy into symbolizing King Louis XIV as the true monarch of his time. The King made use of many of the most renowned thinkers to study Sun patterns and movements to create and build his most glorified hall of mirrors: again making use of the baroque ideals at the time to strengthen and celebrate his own authority as the one true ruler of France, and Europe
Versailles: A glimpse into Rococo
The Rococo time period was one that celebrated the lighter themes of life and was distasteful of the preceding movements in Europe. It highlighted and marveled at the smaller, more delightful aspects of life. The era glorified the beauty of simplistic life and drew away from the harsh themes of sacrifice and religion put forward by the church during the baroque eras, and strayed away from the rebellious nature of the Renaissance.
The rise of these themes has been hinted at through the same continuing monologue of the King; continuing as follows:
“As a land and as a people, we know that true power comes not only from our army but from the inner beauty of our immortal soul.”
Continuously, throughout the series’ first episodes, there have been hints of the advent of the Rococo era by drawing emphasis towards the lesser important circumstances: balls, extravagant and elaborate schemes, and showcases of enjoyment, not only by the King himself but the common people as well. Attention is drawn towards the smaller cabins, lakes, and gardens on the peripheries of Versailles, accentuated using cremes and lighter shades that define the art and era of the Rococo time period. The ambiance created and reflected by these scenes captures the essence of what is being yearned at the time by the people, not outrightly but privately, in the privacy of the character’s own mind. They provide a glimpse into what is yet to come, a period of more elaborate musings and luxury, not overshadowed by the heavier themes the previous movements had brought upon. This ambiance and experience are created by background music, which is most often completely absent or very solemn, however during a scene where one is walking through a garden or enjoying the waters of the lake, the music shifts to a lighter tone. The ambiance is highlighted by brighter colours and warm colour schemes; hinting at the art movement that Rococo brought upon.
Conclusion
The BBC Two show has effectively captured the essence of the era and rule of King Louis XIV, by use of cinematographic details and written dialogues that subtly imply the occurrences of the past, present, and future, without outrightly explaining the entire contextual setting by disrupting the experience of the series itself. The very first monologue, given by the king, I believe very effectively captures the ongoing, past, and political themes of the series by implying occurrences in the past, directly addressing the concerns of the present, and hinting at what is yet to come. King Louis XIV made effective and efficient use of his power and authority as a monarch to define himself as a ruler, and maintain the power he had been bestowed upon.
The series reflects upon the actions of the King, and how he manifested his ideals and morals into his living space: the Palace of Versailles. To conclude, here is the monologue in full:
“A place of true wonder. To remind us of the great and ancient past under our feet and from whose roots we all now grow. As land and as a people, we know that true power comes not only from our army but from the inner beauty of our immortal soul. She will cherish us, and as her children, we will always know her as our home. From all around the earth men will venture here to look at her, those that do will never leave, will never forget.”
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