to be there whenever the mantle of history blows round us , whenever the pictures tell us that live is fight , that like the tides heights and depths come over us , as in our very own everyday life so in the big round about of economy , politics and — culture .

If we look around in our times égalité and political correctness show us our position , only the arts as anchor may open our senses and eyes for an epoch in which

“ the  authority  of  the  state  show(ed)  in  its  culture

… and (Jacques Lemercier’s edifices) consolidated the image of a cultural leading rôle which determined the policy of Colbert and Louis XIV and changed the way France saw herself ”

(Hillary Ballon, Richelieu’s Architecture, in the Montreal/Cologne exhibition catalog Richelieu – Art, Power, and Politics [ striking the sequence! ], 2002, page 258/II).

If we look at

“ th(is)  brilliant  cultural  epoch  of  Louis XIV ”

(Leporini) we look at a political and therefore social three-master of today downright unimaginable intellectual depth. Where have the waves of égalité ever again got sore like at an anchor as the triad of First Ministers

Richelieu  –  Mazarin  –  Colbert

In seamless sequence! Each at the recommendation of his predecessor! Three statesmen! Of which each one finds himself documented as private connoisseur and “passionate collector” still centuries later!

Cardinal-Duke Richelieu  “wanted to present Paris with the first large public library … (and) also founded the Imprimerie Royale” outlasting the times as the “most important French printing office of the 17^th century” and whose splendid library the grandnephew – owned beside his own collection! – later bequeathed to the Sorbonne as the uncle’s favorite object and last resting-place.

Richelieu  who in a sermon of 1626 reminded the royal family as the ultimate authority of power of their limits by the words

And of whom Peter the Great on occasion of a visit to the Sorbonne in 1717 said the memorableness

“ Excellent man , I would give half of my kingdom for a minister like you , so that he teaches me to govern the other half. ”

And  whom  1844  Alexandre  Dumas …

considered one “of the most extraordinary men ever been” (The Three Musketeers).

Interested in literature, theater and the arts – and among these not least the prints – he had his hot lines overheat to bring the Rome-tied great Poussin back to Paris, where he, so the latter himself, “met him with extraordinary kindness” and quartered him almost princely. Nicolas Poussin – the only authority accepted as superior by the young Charles Le Brun – see below – , the protégé of the cardinal and his chancellor Seguier, himself connoisseur and collector of degrees, and future Paris hub and artistic institution plain and simple. With enormous industry and great care in research.

Nicolas Poussin – the only authority the cardinal’s and his chancellor Seguier’s, himself connoisseur and collector of degrees, protégé, the young Charles Le Brun – see below – as future hub and artistic institution plain and simple accepted as superior.

“Under Richelieu (Paris had risen) to the European capital of luxury , the arts and the intellect”. The cardinal himself by the way “a great lover and connoisseur of horses”.

“ Richelieu’s authority primarily rests in his superior intellect. In his rational thinking and acting already the spirit of enlightenment shows ”

(Judith Prokasky in Silver Screen Myth Richelieu – according to Dictionnaire du Grand Siècle present in at least 50 movie pictures – , page 378 of above Richelieu catalog).

Cardinal  Mazarin , “less brilliant and mighty than Richelieu , without his creative ideas , but more dexterous, careful and cunning” , with “untiring industry , perspicacious knowledge of human nature and tenacious patience … His fame rests on his external policy which has two great successes to show: the Peace of Westphalia … and the Peace of the Pyrenees”. In 1640 “Richelieu finally (had drawn him) entirely from papal to French service and entrusted him with several difficult missions” (Meyers Konv.-Lex., 4^th ed., XI, 379). His second library he bequeathed on the Collège Mazarin and “became by this the founder of today’s Bibl. Mazarine”. Earlier times for instance named Gutenberg’s famous 42-line bible as Mazarin Bible plain and simple.

Colbert de Torcy , “whose favor could be gained by the gift of a book only. He administered his library himself”. A later family heir had the throughout beautifully bound 60000 volumes sold at auction, “while the 15000 vols. m(anuscripts) – the finest private collection of this kind – … were purchased by Louis XV  … for the Bibliothèque du Roy”.

“ Strictly honest , of indefatigable capacity for work and a comprehensive view … After four years of meticulous inquiries into the financial state of the government it showed

that  the  taxes  and  tributes

were  in  the  most  complete  disorder

… even taxation and  simpler  collection  of  taxes  took place. While C. lowered the taxes … he covered the deficit by (not least)  reduction  of  civil  servants  and  pensioners .”

But wars and courtly love of splendor finally claimed their tribute and “The system to lease the taxes led to tremendous blackmailing by the leaseholders”. But arts and sciences, economy and infrastructure remained lastingly on the side of the winner. And he – contemporaries hear the signals –

(Meyers, op. cit., IV, 201).

And so as then Richelieu brought Poussin back to Paris one generation later Le Brun, meanwhile risen to ultimate greatness, owed to Colbert the return of the at first still young, soon so great etcher and engraver Girard Audran from Rome. For to the master’s conception only he would be able to impart to the transfer to copper of his gigantic 5-piece cycle of paintings of the Batailles d’Alexandre, also called The Triumphs or Histories of Alexander, created for Louis XIV as requested by the king

“ the  pictorial  and  grandiose  effect ”

which this set is certified by literature to this very day.

Culminating  in  Thieme-Becker’s  appraisal  of  1912 …

“ One  can  barely  imagine  more  beautiful  engravings … ”

and in the résumé of the AKL of 1992 : “ Monuments  of  the  history  of  print .”

Karlheinz Stockhausen’s

“ Beauty
means
order  and  grace .
Regular  meeting
with  beauty
is  absolutely  necessary ,
otherwise  man  comes  down  in  the  world ”

expresses what since the earliest days is the elixir of life for individuals beyond the road of the masses.

May the new year , the new decade , have a cornucopia for everyday life in store for you , meeting you in health and happiness roundabout.

This  then  my  greeting  and  wishing  today . Furnished with the invitation to view by  what  a  copy  far  from  any  égalité  unknown  to  Mother  Nature  of  the  above mentioned LeBrun/Audran lighthouse of French-European culture of the grand siècle

niemeyer’s  starts  into  his  sixth  decade

and after the 350-days 50-Years-Jubilee-Rolling resumes for continuation his monthly Web-AHA-Series.  It  is  a  piece  of  the  corset  of  50  years  of  the  way  business  is  seen  here . You find it currently per

What  is  beautiful ?  —  niemeyer’s  AHA! Event  November 2010

 

Cordially

 

LÜDER H. NIEMEYER
ANTIQUARY FOR BOOKS AND FINE ARTS

 

Unreferenced quotes from the above Richelieu catalog, otherwise the Lexikon des Gesamten Buchwesen of 1935/37.