II.6. NOBLES VS. CAPITALISTS AT THE LOUVRE

MENU: 2.6. Nobles vs. capitalists at the Louvre 

TOWARD 1500, EXPLORERS' DISCOVERIES LEAD TO NEW SOURCES OF INCOME AND SO TO A BOOM THAT UNDERMINES THE SOCIAL SYSTEM 

          Discoveries in 1502 /zoom 

The earliest known map of the Age of Discovery

Nobles — hereditary landowners who make up the ruling class — are a warrior caste that draws its wealth from peasant labor.

They usually wear armor for their portraits (as also shown here, here and here). 

 Portrait of a knight in armor, end 16th century / zoom

The baton indicates command and the curtain underscores grandeur.

Portrait of a young general by Van Dyck, 1624 / zoom

Same idea, plus ornamented armor and lace collar.

Their martial upbringing and values of personal honor and loyalty are irrelevant to commerce. As well, they lose their privileges should they engage in "trade," for which in any case most lack the capital.

For more about such constraints, please click and scroll down.

Nobles cannot adapt to the budding capitalist society.

But for three centuries all classes

 take their innate superiority for granted

 because innumerable aspects of daily life

reinforce that belief.

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In brief

• The primacy of hereditary rank in Old Regime France

• Everything braces the overclass 

• Allegory as weapon

• Detour: History — anecdotes or the economy?

• The gods' modernity

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Next,

2.6.1.

The primacy of hereditary rank in Old Regime France