Louis XIV - the rsquo;Sun Kingrsquo; - casts a long shadow over the history of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe. Yet while he has been the subject of numerous works; much of the scholarship remains firmly rooted within national frameworks and traditions. Thus in France Louis is still chiefly remembered for the splendid baroque culture his reign ushered in; and his political achievements in wielding together a strong centralised French state; whereas in England; the Netherlands and other protestant states; his memory is that of an aggressive military tyrant and persecutor of non-Catholics. In order to try to break free of such parochial strictures; this volume builds upon the approach of scholars such as Ragnhild Hatton who have attempted to situate Louisrsquo; legacy within broader; pan-European context. But where Hatton focused primarily on geo-political themes; Louis XIV Outside In introduces current interests in cultural history; integrating aspects of artistic; literary and musical themes. In particular it examines the formulation and use of images of Louis XIV abroad; concentrating on Louis neighbours in north west Europe. This broad geographical coverage demonstrates how images of Louis XIV were moulded by the polemical needs of people far from Versailles; and distorted from any French originals by the particular political and cultural circumstances of diverse nations. Because the French regimersquo;s ability to control the public image of its leader was very limited; the collection highlights how - at least in the sphere of public presentation - his power was frequently denied; subverted; or appropriated to very different purposes; questioning the limits of his absolutism which has also been such a feature of recent work.
#3725824 in eBooks 2016-04-15 2016-04-15File Name: B01ENPX8T2
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