About 150 years lie between the creation of these pictures: on the one hand, the absolute ruler of France Louis XIV, who reigned from 1643 to 1715 and on the other hand, George Danton and Maximilien Robespierre, two distinguished representatives of the French Revolution after 1789, who decided the fate of France. What had happened that the leaders of their country had themselves represented in such different ways? Here the radiant, glorious prince, clothed in precious robes, in front of a legendary background – there the plainly dressed men at their desks with pen and ink as attributes of the educated citizen.