Statue of Louis XIV in Montpellier, France
France in the time of Louis XIV was not only the most powerful intervener in the affairs of the European continent, but also its comprehensive development of France's strategy and unique wisdom made France the new capital of European culture and fashion. "Parisians" are engraved in people's impressions as a synonym for "cultural people".
<h1>Louis XIV and the French Nation-State</h1>
When it comes to the most well-known image of King Louis XIV of France, his magnificent appearance as the "Sun King" must bear the brunt of it. In an era when the "sea coachman" has long lost its long reins, and the "empire that never sets" with footprints all over the world is still in its infancy. The French Empire under Louis XIV rose to prominence as a new unified nation-state, suddenly dominating the arena of continental supremacy. "Mercantilism" and "continental blockade", these behaviors that make people sound exciting to exert the fists and feet of a big country and safeguard the interests of the nation, are also great synonyms in today's view. Behind the infinite glory of the Sun King's authoritarian power, who would have thought that Louis XIV, who shouted the slogan "The Nation", would be the promoter of delicate and elegant French art and luxury?
French aristocrats are learning to play
King Louis XIV of France and the Chinese Emperor Kangxi were born and died in very close proximity. Unlike the commercial monopoly policy that the Qing Dynasty had always continued, France relied on a strong state power to unify the domestic market and began to build the capital Paris into a fashion capital full of secular sentiments. Whether in ancient China or the West, the origin of luxury goods is often related to the groups that enjoy the highest power and economic power, because they have mastered the traditional political and economic lifeline of a country, so they can try their best to mobilize people, goods, money, etc. to make as good as possible to meet the needs of different people. The concept of luxury goods in Western culture is often greatly related to the formation of the nation-state, and the concentration of national power in the hands of a small number of people.
<h1>The "aristocratic economy" of louis XIV</h1>
It was in France in the 17th century under the rule of Louis XIV that the aristocratic royal family, while meeting its own needs, provided these exquisite works of art to the royal families of Europe and even all regions of the world. Because of its infinite political and military power, France was able to extend its war tentacles to the west, south and east at that time. In this way, France not only absorbed a large number of cultural traditions of the Iberian Peninsula in the west, the holy traditions of Catholicism in the south with charm and thickness, and the fast-paced cultural traditions of Italian commercial cities in a short period of time, but also in the East, it also absorbed the different advantages of Arab culture and Orthodox culture and even China, combined with its own cultural characteristics to create a very inclusive French civilization.
Stills from Louis XIV
In terms of economic development, as the rise of the French nation-state and the rising trend of capitalism became more and more popular, France underwent economic modernization changes that were very different from those of Britain. The British developed modern factories from the countryside, and the rural population of farmland was continuously concentrated to the urban population due to the large occupation of farmland due to the enclosure movement, and the urban economy increased the function of the countryside and gradually flourished. Because there are more industrial agglomerations in the countryside, it has gradually developed into a "suburban" and combined with the city into a unified functional area. As a result, a modern capitalist economic division of labor has emerged, and the attitude towards agriculture is also the need to improve its production efficiency to meet food output and industrial use.
London, England during the Industrial Revolution
But France has placed larger policy subsidies on tax contractors. In the time of Louis XIV, due to the flourishing of French culture, the French aristocracy developed a great historical inertia. His self-proclaimed nobility did not fill the French court with insight, but was filled with the smell of perfume and the laughter of feasting. More and more tax-exempt privileges and a gradual increase in the number of "robed nobles" made the French country gradually overwhelmed by the bad situation.
The palace of the Chancellor of the Exchequer during the reign of Louis XIV
Although it is true that an unhealthy aristocratic economy has dragged France from a state of infinite glory to the point of economic hardship. But everything is negative and yang, and any kind of social temperament will produce certain positive benefits. After the huge economic changes in France, the seemingly deformed "aristocratic economy" that emerged from France not only stimulated the cultural production and consumption in France, but also led to the change of social values throughout Western Europe, and gave birth to the emerging consumerist concepts and materialistic trends. This invisible social atmosphere is known as "stimulating domestic demand" and "increasing imports and exports" in the mouths of economists today, and it frequently appears in our field of vision.
<h1>Third, the fashion atmosphere between the royal family</h1>
In the process of exchanges and transactions between these nobles and the royal families of various countries, luxury brands dedicated to some nobles have gradually become smaller and larger, and have formed a certain brand effect. The wearing and wearing of luxury goods can not only bring certain attraction and enjoyment of happiness to the wearers, but also become a symbol of temperament in aristocratic exchanges. From shoes, boots and even slippers to coffee, champagne and mirrors, louis XIV's consumption frenzy in the realm of life is all about.
Why do we attach ourselves to elegance? Yes, vassal elegance is not only our patent, but the ancient people who knew aesthetics and consumption before us actually learned the tricks of fashion from the beginning. In 1680, Louis XIV, returning from hunting, met the charming Countess on the road. After examining The Countess's makeup and dress, Louis XIV thoughtfully took a strap and tied up her hair that affected the beauty. Tying up the hair that is scattered over the shoulders is not only a practical skill to facilitate the daily life of women, but also provides women with a different sense of lightness, uniqueness and agility in that era when they are accustomed to long hair. The next day, this very "special" way of fiddling with hair immediately spread throughout the Palace of Versailles, and almost every royal or great merchant wife who came to Paris wanted to make a beautiful hairstyle similar to Miss Count.
The aristocracy dressed
Why do we dress ourselves? Of course, it is to express identity and decorate the self. Dress is the equivalent of a mirror that reflects oneself on others, a silent speech on the street that can silently disseminate information to those around you. The fashion industry that everyone is familiar with has begun to take shape in Paris at that time, and to some extent, it has laid the historical foundation of today's Paris fashion design industry. Under the influence and smudge of traditional royal attire, high puff sleeves and a stylish turtleneck have become the only choice for every competitor. In the continuous development of shoes and boots, the emphasis on "high heels" or male and female heels has entered people's vision for the first time. Wearing shoes with an extra height or heel can bring a near-perfect proportion coordination to the legs. It can not only play a role in covering imperfections and beautifying the foot surface, but also can lift the height and leg length of the characters in the visual effect, so that people have a more sense of majesty and nobility in the aesthetic sense.
<h1>Fourth, red light green wine and noble and holy</h1>
Louis XIV also provided a highly creative template for Parisians and even Europeans in architecture and urban planning. In Paris of that era, the ever-expanding population made the muddy urban roads no longer adaptable to the development of society and needed to be eliminated. Louis XIV ordered that a large number of pebbles be laid on the original dirt road of the street to harden the pavement and decorate the cityscape, which played a role in killing two birds with one stone. The bustling bazaars and chaotic slaughterhouses on both sides of the street were ordered to be rectified, and the high hanging signs and uniquely decorated facades gave a layer of elegance to the ordinary trading places in Paris. It has been commented that "the night in Paris is as bright as noon". The night lights of Paris have been valued in the era of Louis XIV, and he regarded the lights as a tool to facilitate the travel of citizens and maintain social order, thus achieving the richness of Paris's nightlife.
Makeover municipal construction
The fashion taste of Paris was created by Louis XIV, and different kinds of shops such as the fashion industry, cafés, French restaurants, jewelry stores and so on are going further and further down the road of specialization and independence. In Paris at that time, the small traders who were accustomed to seeing the ladies apply grease and powder also competed to imitate. Ordinary people who envied the noble manners of the nobles when they walked gradually began to yearn to have their own set of ready-to-wear clothes and gentleman's hats. The café was not only home to celebrities of the time, but also distinguished it from the noisy bars because of its promotion of a calm and calm style. In the later years of louis XIV's reign, the jewels in the French crown were considered the most beautiful and precious jewels in the West, and a symbol of its supreme authority.
The splendid Palace of Versailles was also greatly enlarged and renovated in the time of Louis XIV. Not only as a place of residence for the royal nobility, versailles itself has become a collection and the best representative of royal culture, and has created a new model for the rest of Europe to follow. From its completion, the Palace of Versailles has attracted visitors from all over Europe with its boundless momentum. Louis XIV himself even wrote the Versailles Gardens Guide, which from 1689 until louis XIV's death was a must-have manual for guests visiting Versailles to follow.
The new life of the French nobility
The interior of the palace is covered with oil paintings decorating the walls, telling everyone present the endless glory of The Long River of French History. The high ceiling, the polished hall of mirrors, and the endless luxury of Rococo decorations, all of these brilliance and brilliance seem to provide an excellent stage for the aristocratic royal family to show themselves. The days-long ball and the formal royal meeting were held here in parallel, the signing of diplomatic documents and the approval of the degree of cost experienced the same wave of manpower, the elegant and standardized royal etiquette was something that made people worship, and the erosion and chaos of emotional exchanges were constantly surging in the dark.
<h1>Wen Shijun said</h1>
France in the time of Louis XIV was like the Roman Empire at the time of crisis: although it had reached its peak, it was already exhausted; although it was literary, its moral standards had already taken a sharp turn. Although the song and dance are peaceful, it can only be stupid and self-satisfied. As observers of history, we cannot expect the experiencers of history to have the same keen insight into our own times as we do. France in the era of Louis XIV reflected its strong strength and external attractiveness in different aspects, but it was inappropriate to pursue luxury and glitz one-sidedly. Just like a person who only has a seemingly elegant appearance, but does not pay attention to the cultivation of the heart. In today's era of consumerism, what we especially need is the simple pleasure of a basket of food and a scoop of drink!
<h1>bibliography:</h1>
Xia Xiang: "The Value of Design in Luxury Goods", New Art, 2016-11
Li Meimin, "Louis XIV: An Initiator of the Era of Consumption", Lanzhou Academic Journal, 2012-7
Wang Yijing, "Cultural Policy in France during the Louis XIV Period", French Learning, 2017-3
(Author: Haoran Wenshi Contributor Porcelain Country Garbage Dump)
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