Hall Of Mirrors

The Palace of Versailles was the official royal office in 1682 and residence of the court of France in 1682. Louis XIV broke tradition and ruled without a chief minister. The king viewed himself as a God, which he embraced the divine right to control the monarchy. After controlling the government, Louis XIV tightened controls of France and its overseas colonies. Marquis de Louvois, war minister, expanded the French army while Jean-Baptiste Colbert, finance minister, implemented reforms that reduced growth of industry. While working hard, the king appreciated literature, art, theater, music, and sports. He surrounded himself with intellectual figures of his time, which included Charles Le Brun, a painter, and playwright Moliere. Louis XIV built several extravagant chateaux and he transformed the royal hunting lodge into one of the largest palaces in the world. The king used entertainment and ceremonies to assert his supremacy.
The War of Devolution from 1667 to 1668, was
launched by Louis XIV and was the first in a series of conflicts that showed his aggressive understanding of foreign policy. He invaded the Spanish Netherlands, which he claimed his wife rightfully owned from her inheritance. Though he retreated from the pressure of the English, Dutch, and Swedish, this outcome led to the Franco-Dutch war, where France acquired a greater area of territory in Flanders. At this point, Louis XIV established “chambers of reunion” to destroy cities and towns along France’s border.

The Hall of Mirrors pays tribute to the political, artistic, and economic success of France.
This room which illustrates thirty painted compositions that are vaulted on the ceiling by Charles Le Brun, which shows the glorious history of Louis XIV during the first eighteen years. The Hall of Mirrors was located on its north side by the Salon of War, which contains art that depicts the king’s victory against the European coalition, and on its south side by the Salon of Peace, which contained art that depicts the forthcoming peace.
This gallery is three hundred and fifty-seven wide arcaded mirrors that face a set of seventeen windows that overlook the gardens. The walls are covered in marble and golden sculptures that stand out from the arches of mirrors. This hall was used as a gallery for meeting people and walking through. On rare occasion, the king would use the Hall of Mirrors to host ceremonies or weddings. The Sun King is remembered in this room because it shows the setting of that
sun.
The Palace of Fine Arts located in San Francisco was built to show the rich history of San Francisco. This Palace holds art from Renaissance to Modern. People gathered and would visit the exposition. I think this conveys power for San Francisco because it’s beloved by the people of San Francisco for its beauty and architecture. The Hall of Mirrors is also beloved my many for its beauty and luxuries. I want to compare Hall of Mirrors to the Palace of Fine Arts because both are designed to hold rich history and art for visitors or ceremonies. The design between the two are different, but extravagant in their own ways. The Palace of Fine Arts also has testimony to human achievement through the Roman style building just like the Hall of Mirrors with their history to show Louis XIV’s brief history through art.
Throughout history, there have been many greedy people who want power and money. During the Baroque period, it was all about status and wealth. Today, the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep losing. Society is focused on status and wealth just like the Baroque period. We idolize those who have fame and money, but don’t help those who suffer and continue to suffer. People are focused on portraying lavish lifestyles that they lost focus on what’s important. The only positive outcome is art and literature for today and during the Baroque period that express opinions.