Artwork

L'Espagne Cintre du Salon de la Guerre en face de la Galerie (Spain, Center of the Salon of War Opposite the Gallery) [pl. 38]

L'Espagne Cintre du Salon de la Guerre en face de la Galerie (Spain, Center of the Salon of War Opposite the Gallery) [pl. 38] is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Jean-Baptiste Massé. It dates from 1752 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

L'Espagne Cintre du Salon de la Guerre en face de la Galerie is an engraving on laid paper created by Jean-Baptiste Massé in 1752. It is part of the *Galerie de Versailles*, an illustrated series based on Charles Le Brun’s works.

Subject & Meaning

The engraving depicts a chaotic battle scene within a section of the Salon of War at Versailles, highlighting the space’s historical and propagandistic significance under Louis XIV’s reign, emphasizing royal power through art.

Technique & Style

Massé utilized cross-hatching, a technique employing fine, intersecting lines to achieve depth and shading, to render the intense battle scene, characterized by detailed figures, debris, and a dark sky, all executed on paper.

History & Provenance

Commissioned as part of the *Galerie de Versailles* (1732–1753), this engraving was created during Massé’s tenure as court painter to Louis XV, reflecting his role in documenting and promoting the royal legacy through reproductions of Le Brun’s designs.

Context

Produced in 1752, the work contextualizes the ongoing influence of Louis XIV’s artistic and political visions at Versailles, as interpreted through the artistic lens of the mid-18th century under Louis XV.

Artist & collection

Artist

Jean-Baptiste Massé

Jean-Baptiste Massé (29 December 1687, in Paris – 26 September 1767, in Paris) was a French miniature painter, engraver, and draftsman, best remembered as the court painter of Louis XV, for training Jean-Étienne Liotard…