Communism: The Reign Of King Louis XIV

The glare of the sun blazed over France for seven decades during the most elaborate rule in European history. King Louis XIV was the sovereign king of France at age four, born on September, 5th 1638. His reign lasted longer than any other monarchy in history from 1643-1715. He was the god given child to his mother Queen Anne of Austria. She held the title Regency during her son’s younger years. France was in a total eclipse state politically with nineteen million subjects and a weak financial situation. The sovereign suffered from neglect from his mother, she allowed servants to raise and see to the day to day needs of his majesty. During an outing he nearly drowned due to a lack of supervision. Although evidence shows strong neglect his mother

The appointment of Jean-Baptiste Colbert strengthened the economy through manufacturing and industrialism. Which gave France financial independence, but as soon as the finance minister could generate wealth, the Sun King would spend large amounts revenue to demonstrate his absolute reign. Jean-Baptiste Colbert’s responsibility as finance minister included administration of the royal household, the navy and the merchant marines. He credited expanding industry, lowering unemployment and streamlining taxation. He granted himself the responsibility of furthering the propaganda of King Louis XIV’s divine absolute centralized form of monarchy to the subjects of France. This gave parliament, nobility and ministry assurance in their King’s strength to perpetuate France as a superpower. His guidance on artistic and cultural of France. At the age of fourteen, Louis XIV was personally revolved in participating in the liberal arts. While participating in a ballet dressed as the Greek God, Apollo of the Sun. This set the foundation for his notoriety as the Sun King. He often referred to himself as the sun, and his subjects would be the planets in elliptical rotation around him. He chose the symbol of the sun as his personal symbol fitting with his celestial personality. Louis XIV had ceremonies held marking the royal rising in the morning and setting in the evening in comparison with

Propaganda being an important technique for subservient subjects Louis XIV and his advisor commissioned several large personal works demonstrating his majesty’s grandeur. King Louis XIV commissioned a famous work of art. Hyacinthe Rigaud (1659-1743) Louis XIV (1701) oil on canvas, 9’2” x 6’3” housed in Musee du Louvre, Paris. It was due to be a present to his grandson Philip V of Spain. The King after its completion loved the piece so much, he added it to his private collection and commissioned copies for family and European aristocrats. The work is a proclamation to the absolute reign of the Sun King. He is adorned in fine royal blue coronation robes hung loosely about the shoulders, and established as the center of the portrait. Being sixty three years old when this work was created the Sun King shows off his youthful toned legs due to his activities as a ballet dancer most of his life. Wearing stylish red elevated shoes to give him a larger than life stature for his 5’4” frame. Rigaud idealized his size to please his highness over reality. His eyes are looking boldly at the viewer slightly turned with a wide stance. This gives a lifelike appearance quality projected to the viewer. His royal jeweled sword hanging on his side symbolizes a seasoned warrior. His left hand placed on his hip, while his right hand entertained the royal scepter with the crown on a stool closely to