Versailles Mirrored: The Power of Luxury, Louis XIV to Donald Trump

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Why has Louis XIVs Palace of Versailles, defining symbol of hedonistic opulence in 17th century France and synonymous with the notion of the divine right of kings, continued to shape the aesthetics of cultural capital in the centuries since his death

In Versailles Mirrored, Robert Wellington tracks this enduring fascination with the Sun Kings palace through eight case studies spanning the 18th to the 21st century. The book demonstrates how the extravagant palace style began as a symbol of the state in the 17th century; how it was adopted by the nouveau riche to show off their financial success in the 19th century; and, remarkably, how that palace look returned to play a role in statecraft in the hands of US President Donald Trump. Wellington links the aristocratic architectural traditions of France, England, and Germany to North America through the lens of Versailles, French architecture, and the decorative arts.

Opening with a brief overview of the history of Versailles and the political and cultural motivations of its creation, subsequent chapters address aristocratic buildings in France and Germany built by the Sun Kings contemporaries; historicism in the 19th century in Britain, Germany, and America; and the present day, with Trumps buildings and Chteau Louis XIV, known as the worlds most expensive home, purchased by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

In uncovering the motivations of those patrons, the book ultimately reveals why Versailles remains a powerful point of reference for those who wish to flaunt their social, cultural, and political capital.

Author Bio

Robert Wellington is Associate Professor of Art History at the Centre for Art History and Art Theory, Australian National University, Australia. He is co-editor of The Versailles Effect: Objects, Lives, and Afterlives of the Domaine (2021) and author of Antiquarianism and the Visual Histories of Louis XIV (2015).