Practice Analyzing Visual Sources
Students are often taught how to analyze written sources. They are often not taught, however, to analyze visual sources. Visual sources shouldn’t be overlooked, though: these sources can also provide rich insights into the past. Follow along with a Circa expert to see how you can analyze visual sources!
You might have already read our blog post about how to analyze a visual source. Sometimes, though, it is easier to see these theories put into practice. Let’s go through Circa’s visual analysis method step-by-step and use it as a guide for analyzing the image above.
What am I looking at?
The first step in analyzing any image is to carefully assess what it is that I am seeing in the image. It is easy to take a quick glance and think that you have understood it. Take your time, though, to look at all of the details in the image.
In the image above, we are presented with a painting of the French monarch Louis XIV. There are a lot of things going on in this image. In the center, we have the figure of Louis XIV, covered in expensive coronation clothes and lavish jewelry. The front of the robes are decorated with the the fleur-de-lys, a symbol of France and the French monarchy. Louis is also surrounded by objects, including a sword, crown, and scepter. And finally, when we look at his face himself, we see a strong gaze, looking out directly at the viewer.
Moving beyond the figure of the king, we can see that the opulence extends to the rest of the room around him, from the sumptuous draperies to the marble architectural elements to the gilded floor covering.
What is the context for this image?
After looking at the image, I can then go and do some research or add in context that I might already know about this period in history. Specifically, I want to understand the context in which I would place the image, learning about the artist, date, and context, as I would with a text.
Louis XIV was the king of France from 1643 until 1715. This portrait was painted in 1701, meaning that it showed the leader at the height of his power. Throughout this reign, Louis centralized power within France and especially tied it to the monarchy, making Louis XIV an absolute ruler over the entire country—surpassing the power that previous French kings had claimed. To give one example, we could take the example of his palace, Versailles. Louis XIV took what had once been a small hunting lodge outside of Paris and transformed it into one of the biggest and most opulent palaces in Europe. Its intimidating size and overwhelming decor embodied Louis’ political power. Indeed, Louis forced the nobility of France to live within his palace walls—further consolidating power around his monarchy. Versailles is just one example of how Louis’ rule was the paradigm of the era of absolute monarchy in Europe.
This image in particular was painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud, a famous court painter at the time. It was painted as a gift for Louis’ grandson, Philip V of Spain. But Louis was such an admirer of the portrait that he kept the original and asked for a new painting to be given to his grandson.
What meaning does the artist want to convey?
One clear meaning of the portrait is the absolute power of Louis XIV. He is presented in the center of the canvas, looming over the viewer. Indeed, his placement at the center of the canvas—with the lines of the composition making a triangle with Louis at the center—emphasize his power and that everything ultimately emanates from the figure of the king. Indeed, while Louis has the symbols of the monarchy nearby, he does not need to wear the crown to prove that he is the monarch.
There is clearly a message for Louis’ grandson, who is a much younger leader. Louis sets an example for how a ruler should lead, what he should look like, and how he should embody his temporal power. At the same time, this message speaks to anyone who looks at this portrait. In that sense, it is an example of propaganda, an image that popularizes a particular political viewpoint.
Learn More about Analyzing Visual Sources
Circa teaches high school students the skills needed to analyze visual sources.