Robert Wellington was in conversation with Mathew Trinca on Roberts new book Versailles Mirrored. The Power of Luxury,Louis XIV to Donald Trump.
Why has Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles, defining symbol of hedonistic opulence in 17th-century France and synonymous with the notion of the divine right of kings, continued to shape the aesthetics of cultural capital in the centuries since his death?
In Versailles Mirrored, Robert Wellington tracks this enduring fascination with the Sun King's palace through eight case studies spanning the 17th to 21st centuries. The book demonstrates how the extravagant palace style began as a symbol of the state in the 17th century; how it was adopted by the nouveau riche to show off their financial success in the 19th century; and, remarkably, how that palace look returned to play a role in statecraft in the hands of US President Donald Trump. Wellington links the aristocratic architectural traditions of France, England, and Germany to North America through the lens of Versailles, French architecture, and the decorative arts.
Opening with a brief overview of the history of Versailles and the political and cultural motivations of its creation, subsequent chapters address aristocratic buildings in France and Germany built by the Sun King's contemporaries; historicism in the 19th century in Britain, Germany, and America; and the present day, with Trump's buildings and Château Louis XIV, known as the 'world's most expensive home', purchased by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.In uncovering the motivations of those patrons, the book ultimately reveals why Versailles remains a powerful point of reference for those who wish to flaunt their social, cultural, and political capital.
Robert Wellington FSA is Associate Professor of Art History in the Centre for Art History and Art Theory, the Australian National University. He is an art historian with a special interest in the role of material culture in history making and cross-cultural exchange on one of the world's leading experts on the Palace of Versailles. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London and an expert judge on the ABCs upcoming Portrait Artist of the Year.
Dr Mathew Trinca Talalin AM FAHA is Professor of Museum Practice at the Australian National University. He is Chair of the Cultural Facilities Corporation in Canberra and sits on several arts and cultural sector boards and advisory bodies. Matthew was formerly Director of the National Museum of Australia between 2014 to 2024, and worked in senior roles in the Museum from 2003.
The vote of thanks was given by Helen Musa, arts editor of Canberra City news and convener of the Canberra Critics’ Circle.
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Robert Wellington was in conversation with Mathew Trinca on Roberts new book Versailles Mirrored. The Power of Luxury,Louis XIV to Donald Trump.
Why has Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles, defining symbol of hedonistic opulence in 17th-century France and synonymous with the notion of the divine right of kings, continued to shape the aesthetics of cultural capital in the centuries since his death?
In Versailles Mirrored, Robert Wellington tracks this enduring fascination with the Sun King's palace through eight case studies spanning the 17th to 21st centuries. The book demonstrates how the extravagant palace style began as a symbol of the state in the 17th century; how it was adopted by the nouveau riche to show off their financial success in the 19th century; and, remarkably, how that palace look returned to play a role in statecraft in the hands of US President Donald Trump. Wellington links the aristocratic architectural traditions of France, England, and Germany to North America through the lens of Versailles, French architecture, and the decorative arts.
Opening with a brief overview of the history of Versailles and the political and cultural motivations of its creation, subsequent chapters address aristocratic buildings in France and Germany built by the Sun King's contemporaries; historicism in the 19th century in Britain, Germany, and America; and the present day, with Trump's buildings and Château Louis XIV, known as the 'world's most expensive home', purchased by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.In uncovering the motivations of those patrons, the book ultimately reveals why Versailles remains a powerful point of reference for those who wish to flaunt their social, cultural, and political capital.
Robert Wellington FSA is Associate Professor of Art History in the Centre for Art History and Art Theory, the Australian National University. He is an art historian with a special interest in the role of material culture in history making and cross-cultural exchange on one of the world's leading experts on the Palace of Versailles. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London and an expert judge on the ABCs upcoming Portrait Artist of the Year.
Dr Mathew Trinca Talalin AM FAHA is Professor of Museum Practice at the Australian National University. He is Chair of the Cultural Facilities Corporation in Canberra and sits on several arts and cultural sector boards and advisory bodies. Matthew was formerly Director of the National Museum of Australia between 2014 to 2024, and worked in senior roles in the Museum from 2003.
The vote of thanks was given by Helen Musa, arts editor of Canberra City news and convener of the Canberra Critics’ Circle.
Michael Brissenden was in conversation with Chris Hammer on Michael's new novel, MTA, a dark, gripping thriller that explores the complexities of identity, a search for truth, and the unyielding forces of corruption in a world where lives are lived on the fringe and nothing is as it seems.
Lake Herrod, a once-thriving community, now lies in the shadow of a nearly dry lake. The town, like the water, is evaporating and its residents are left clinging to what little remains.
When Aaron Love discovers a fresh corpse near the cracked lakebed – along with evidence his missing father is alive and linked to a web of organised crime – he is thrust into a world of deception, injustice and betrayal. With the town on the brink of collapse, Aaron and a haunted detective, Martyn Kravets, uncover a web of conspiracy that reaches far beyond the small community.
‘Searing and raw, beautiful and tender for its profound humanity, Dust ventures where few dare – to the true, blistered Australian climate-changed outback, and to the desperate lives and brutal deaths that unfold on its margins. A superb novel, confronting and oh-so real.’– Paul Daley
Michael Brissenden was a journalist with the ABC for 35 years, covering politics, national security issues and spent many years working as a foreign correspondent. He now writes fiction and has published three novels: The List (2017), Dead Letters (2021) and Smoke (2024).
Chris Hammer is a leading Australian crime fiction novelist, including the internationally bestselling Martin Scarsden series: Scrublands, Silver and Trust. Chris’s current award-winning series features homicide detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic: Treasure & Dirt/ Opal Country; The Tilt/Dead Man’s Creek; The Seven/Cover The Bones; and now The Valley/The Broken River.
The vote of thanks was given by Canberra writer, veterinarian and podcaster Karen Viggers
Experience ANU
Robert Wellington was in conversation with Mathew Trinca on Roberts new book Versailles Mirrored. The Power of Luxury,Louis XIV to Donald Trump.
Why has Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles, defining symbol of hedonistic opulence in 17th-century France and synonymous with the notion of the divine right of kings, continued to shape the aesthetics of cultural capital in the centuries since his death?
In Versailles Mirrored, Robert Wellington tracks this enduring fascination with the Sun King's palace through eight case studies spanning the 17th to 21st centuries. The book demonstrates how the extravagant palace style began as a symbol of the state in the 17th century; how it was adopted by the nouveau riche to show off their financial success in the 19th century; and, remarkably, how that palace look returned to play a role in statecraft in the hands of US President Donald Trump. Wellington links the aristocratic architectural traditions of France, England, and Germany to North America through the lens of Versailles, French architecture, and the decorative arts.
Opening with a brief overview of the history of Versailles and the political and cultural motivations of its creation, subsequent chapters address aristocratic buildings in France and Germany built by the Sun King's contemporaries; historicism in the 19th century in Britain, Germany, and America; and the present day, with Trump's buildings and Château Louis XIV, known as the 'world's most expensive home', purchased by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.In uncovering the motivations of those patrons, the book ultimately reveals why Versailles remains a powerful point of reference for those who wish to flaunt their social, cultural, and political capital.
Robert Wellington FSA is Associate Professor of Art History in the Centre for Art History and Art Theory, the Australian National University. He is an art historian with a special interest in the role of material culture in history making and cross-cultural exchange on one of the world's leading experts on the Palace of Versailles. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London and an expert judge on the ABCs upcoming Portrait Artist of the Year.
Dr Mathew Trinca Talalin AM FAHA is Professor of Museum Practice at the Australian National University. He is Chair of the Cultural Facilities Corporation in Canberra and sits on several arts and cultural sector boards and advisory bodies. Matthew was formerly Director of the National Museum of Australia between 2014 to 2024, and worked in senior roles in the Museum from 2003.
The vote of thanks was given by Helen Musa, arts editor of Canberra City news and convener of the Canberra Critics’ Circle.
