Animals and Absolutism
What do animals have to do with absolutism? Can animal bodies and representations be used to justify authoritarian rule, or can they model forms of conduct expected of a ruler\u2019s associates? According to Peter Sahlins, animals that lived and were depicted in the royal gardens of Versailles played a key role in Louis XIV\u2019s reign, by, among other things, highlighting the violence and chaos that would presumably prevail in the absence of the Sun King\u2019s absolute rule.\nPeter Sahlins, 1668: The Year of the Animal in France Zone Books, 2017\n\xa0\nThe post Animals and Absolutism appeared first on KPFA.