Assertion of One’s Own Importance: Comparing and Contrasting

It is very common for people to feel the need to impress their families and their friends through different means. From expensive clothing to boasting about one’s own abilities, society is known to give more importance to certain things than others. But could our own want for validation serve a higher purpose in the bigger picture? If we put aside the obvious notion that some paintings serve a greater importance in history, and look at the artwork of the 18th century, we can see the various degrees the public would take to assert their value in society. Here, we’ll be analyzing the portrayal of two men, one from the beginning of the 18th century and the other from the late 18th century. 

In Pompeo Batoni’s Portrait of John Talbot (1733) we are presented with a man of culture and class. Or so we are meant to believe. 

Hyacinthe Rigaud’s Portrait of Louis XIV (1701), presents Louis XIV honorably and admirably in order to show the power of France. The techniques, use of color, and objects found in the portrait’s of the men reflect not only their countries and interests but also their value in the eyes of the public, but to different degrees.

The unique objects placed in the background and the rich garments wrapped around these two gentlemen portray them to be of high status, but to different measures. While in the Portrait of John Talbot it seems to show the young man to be finely dressed, the king shown in the Portrait of Louis XIV presents the king to be in far more luxurious clothing. The very ornate, rich in color, fur lined robe and the lavish drapes hanging behind the king gives us a peek into the royal’s grandeur and pompous lifestyle. This leads the viewer to the obvious conclusion that Louis XIV has a larger amount of wealth than the young John Talbot, whose clothes are fashionable but not of the same quality or material. Though, during the Enlightenment period, it was far more important to be presented as a cultured, well-traveled, sophisticated man, which was what John Talbot had been aiming for. With Neoclassicism on the rise, the classical antiquity placed in the surroundings of John Talbot is a fine example of being a cultured, sophisticated man. This attention to classical antiquity and enlightenment is a very distinguishable characteristic of Neoclassicism. In comparison, the Portrait of Louis XIV, presents a slight interest in the architecture, with the column placed behind the king, but not of classical antiquity. This interest in architecture refers to the time period’s focus of Classical Baroque, which was the king’s preferred art style.

Due to their darkened backgrounds and contrasting colors, the figures are greatly illuminated by the colors in their garments. In Pompeo Batoni’s artwork, the dark, murky blues and greens casted by the trees in the background strongly contrast the warm, bright reds and soft gold used in his clothing. There is also a soft light approaching from the left casting on him to bring all the focus on him, as well as  creating a fairly strong shadow behind him furthering the contrast between lights and darks. This great contrast in both color and in value make John Talbot the center of attention in this piece. In Hyacinthe Rigaud’s artwork, a similar technique is used in order to set the king as the most important part of the piece. The light casting on the king illuminates him and the background only gets darker the further it goes back into space. The warm reds on top and the darkened yellows placed in the background, as well as on the floor, are used to accentuate Louis XIV’s rich blue robe and bright white garments. This technique not only brings the main focus into view but also draws out distinctive characteristics of the men. Mostly, that of the king.

Both men in these portraits try to present their more admirable qualities, but there are also characteristics about themselves that are not presented or are hidden by the artist. While in Pompeo Batoni’s piece, John Talbot’s leisurely and relaxed side is reflected in the work. John Talbot does not face the audience but instead stares off into the distance with a soft smile on his face. The audience would believe that John Talbot is just a relaxed, easy-going man but it’s hard to decipher any outstanding things about this man, such as what he does in his past time. In contrast, the artist presents great characteristics of the king in the Portrait of Louis XIV. He does so by accentuating Louis XIV’s legs with his use of color as well as positioning the piece to show the legs more fully. In his portrait, Louis XIV wanted his legs to be visibly notable to indicate his great skill in dancing that he had done as a young man, which he was strongly proud of. But even with his well-toned legs and extravagant garments, the king had attributes that he did not want to be noticed by the public. Due to the short stature of the king, he specifically instructed the artist to make him appear larger in his portrait. In order to do so, the artist made Louis XIV appear larger than life and positioned the artwork in a way to present the king in a grander manner. As well as feeling insecure about his height, the king had worn a wig to appear more youthful towards the public to keep a certain image of him, and perhaps his country, in tact.

Both men had asked for these portraits in order to display their high status and good qualities, not only to show themselves as respectable men but to represent their country admirably as well. John Talbot was on his travels through Rome and felt it appropriate to show his travels to his friends and family by commissioning a portrait to depict them. This could be seen as an earlier version of a souvenir to bring back to show the world his refined taste and worldly experience. Because the English had won the seven year war, and there was a burst of pride for one’s own country, this type of action wasn’t uncommon. They felt a need to assert themselves as a winning power. In fact, since it was fairly common to do this, the artist had all the props to stage this type of portrait frequently! As an Englishman of class, John Talbot could have been one of the men who felt that he had to show he was part of a grand country. But it wasn’t to the same extent that Louis XIV wanted to show his power. John Talbot’s depiction of his country being powerful was much more subtle, and while it could influence others to see him as a respectable Englishman, the need was not as strong.  Louis XIV had also felt the need to use his own portrait as a status symbol to the public. He felt the need to accentuate his legs, make himself appear larger and younger than he really was, in order to keep his image of a strong ruler in tact. This artwork is considered to serve as propaganda to show the power of the ruler and the country. By depicting the king as a healthy, young man with both riches and experience, he is showing that there is still power in France. That France itself is still stable because the king is as well. In this sense, it could be described to be a more powerful piece than Pompeo Batoni’s portrait of John Talbot since John Talbot did not hold such a strong, influential position in power that could influence the masses as much as a portrait of a king.

Although both portraits serve to emphasize the importance of the two gentlemen being painted, one portrait serves a higher, more influential purpose than the other. Both are similar in various techniques involving both light, shadow, and color in order to emphasis the importance of the men in the portrait. The content is also used to the advantage of the men to depict their significance and great qualities that each possess or would wish to imply to others in order to gain admiration and respect from others. This could be from a small community or to a larger audience. Hyacinthe Rigaud’s Portrait of Louis XIV was a strong piece of propaganda in order to get the audience to entrust the king and marvel at his power, health, and stability. While Pompeo Batoni’s Portrait of John Talbot was a lot more subtle in it’s purpose. The audience was not meant to marvel at his strength in power or his stability in the monarchy but to impress others with his worldly experience. But, in my personal opinion, they both need to chill because they are so fucking full of themselves. Seriously.