Bulletin du Centre de Recherche du Château de Versailles (Apr 2022)
Dumbstruck Dutchmen: Netherlandish Travellers into the Lion’s Den (1672–1750)
Abstract
During the long eighteenth century, Paris became a favourite destination for Netherlandish travellers, who were attracted by the luxurious shops, extensive leisure facilities, well-stocked museums, and modern architecture. Yet the triumphant iconography of Louis XIV, immortalizing French victories in paintings, tapestries and bas-reliefs, may have been a thorn in these visitors’ flesh. Drawing evidence from a series of travel journals, we will examine how Dutch and Flemish travellers experienced this abrasive ‘propaganda’.
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