II.3.3.e. LOUIS XIV'S ARC LOOMS OVER THE ROUTE

KEEP GOING, TOWARD A MONUMENT THAT IS SUPERB AND AWFUL

The young king's victories let him demolish the rampart and build this arc of triumph at the Saint-Denis gate, on the route that led to the royal mausoleum.  

(Victories 1672; arc, 1674) 

Carolyn Ristau

Rome's Arch of Constantine inspired it and it inspired New York's Manhattan Walkway:

Zoom

      

# # #

Built on the site of the gate...

Plan of Paris toward 1640 / zoom

...it trumpeted the lack of a protection that elsewhere was taken for granted: 

The Second Fall of Constantinople by Tintoretto, toward 1600 / zoom

Constantinople 

Rome

   By Apollinary Vasnetsov, 1922 / zoom

Moscow toward 1350

From the Niger to the Gulf of Guinea by Louis Gustave Binger, 1892 / zoom

Sikasso (Mali), end 19th century

Zoom

Vienna in 1690

   Getty Images/Vernon Lewis Gallery/Stocktrek Images

New Orléans in 1812

 Unsigned engraving / zoom

Marrakech toward 1840

 Demolishing the walls of Paris

stated that attacking the city was unthinkable,

trumpeting French domination.

To be continued.

End of this short section.

*     *     *

Next,

II.3.3.f.

Toward the horizon