French 4392 - Commemorating the King

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

The court of Louis XIV at Versailles was remarkable for its grandeur, its consolidation of power, and its celebration of the Sun King. Arguably, all aspects of court life were regulated by the crown and all things produced-whether wars or monuments; art or science; novels or histories-were tributes to the king. All reflected a certain "ideology of commemoration," that is, an implicit or explicit validation of the monarch's privilege and prestige, both for his contemporaries and for posterity. We explore how authors (including Louis XIV, La Bruyère, La Rochefoucauld, Perrault, La Fontaine), artists (Lebrun, Rigaud, Poussin, Félibien), and historiographers/memorialists (Racine, Saint Simon) support the ambitions of the crown through their works. Modern critics Elias, Marin, Burke, and Merlin guide our research into the activities of the royal family, the ideology of absolutism, and the role of art in affirming the power of Versailles as we continue to memorialize it through surviving texts, monuments, and images. Prerequisites: French 325 and French 326 or one of these courses and the equivalent Washington University transfer literature course from Toulouse or Paris. One-hour preceptorial for required for undergraduates.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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