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The Ratification of the Treaty of Münster by Gerard ter Borch
This painting depicts the Ratification of the Treaty of Münster in 1648, a prominent turning point in European history that altered the balance of power and created a sovereign state system. This painting is significant because it portrays a peaceful, rational environment in which resolutions can be found without the use of force. -
Period: to
HIST 215 - Section 13 Group 4
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Two Treatisies of Government by John Locke
The Two Treatisies of Government, written by John Locke, was one of his most influential works of political philosophy. In this work, Locke refutes the idea of the divine right of kings and defines political power. This essay was used as a justification for the Glorious Revolution of 1688. -
The sealing of the Bank of England Charter
Established in 1694,The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. It is the second oldest central bank in the world and a key event in the development of the modern banking system. -
Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud
At a whopping 2.77m by 1.94m, this painting depicts Louis XIV's absolute power, and was used as propaganda throughout the Old Regime, to illustrate that Louis XIV truly was the "Sun King". It suggests that at the time, art was not seen as an expression of what the people believed, but was instead a way for rulers to influence the views of their subjects. -
On the Social Contract by Jean-Jaques Rousseau
On the Social Contract was one of Rousseaus most famous works. Written during the reign of the absolutist monarch Louis XV, Rousseau established himself as a key contributor to enlightenment philosophy by emphasizing the importance of 'the general will' and provided important questions on political freedom in the modern state. -
Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough
As part of the Rococo period, this English painting is thought to be a portrait of Jonathan Buttall, who was the son of a wealthy hardware merchant. During this period, art was used to depict the carefree lives of the aristocracy, as opposed to the lives and/or ideas of the petty bourgeoise or the peasants. -
Publication of "Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith
First published in 1776, the book offers one of the world's first collected descriptions of what builds nations' wealth and is today a fundamental work in classical economics. By reflecting upon the economics at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the book touches upon such broad topics as the division of labor, mercantalism, productivity, and free markets. -
Portrait of Louis XVI of France by Antoine-François Callet
King Louis XIV is portrayed as a sophisticated and enlightened ruler with ancient art work from antiquity behind him signifying his absolutist rule. Enlightened absolutism is shown through the ancient Greek Goddess Themis holding the scale of justice behind him. Enlightened absolutism is a political practice that sought beneficial reforms on subjects within the monarchy. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen by Jean-Jacques-Francois Le Barbier II
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens imposed universal principals of freedom and equality. This declaration set forth fundamental principles essential to freeing citizens from absolute oppressive domination providing a legal framework changing the old order in France. -
Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch by Emmanuel Kant
In this work, Kant focuses on the establishment of a system of permanent peace. This was written during a time where many treaties, although promoting large scale peace, still resulted in significant tensions between countries. Kant attempts to pose a solution with the dissolution of military as a whole and the promotion of total autonomy from one state to the other. -
Observations on the Effect of the Manufacturing System by Robert Owen
Robert Owens was a poineer in socialism and the promotion of workplace rights after the Napoleonic Wars. Owen's observations on the new industrial system saught to promote workers rights in a time of economic stagnation in Europe. -
Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix
This French painting depicts the revolutions in France during 1830, and shows anonymous masses fighting for others and for their ideas. This illustrates the tenets of Romanticism, as it favours the emotion and instinct that comes with fighting in a revolution, as opposed to prior ideas of the Enlightenment that focused on structural education and reason. -
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Written during the tumultuous Spring of Nations, The Communist Manifesto was representative of the struggle of the proliteriat against the established political powers and their forms of worker subjugation. -
Universal Democratic and Social Republic by Friedrich Sorrieu's
This painting depicts the 1848 Revolutions across the continent as people demonstrated demanding an extension of political rights and freedoms. The painting depicts different European nations marching towards the statue of liberty that is drawn holding a torch as a symbol of Enlightenment ideas sparking the revolutions and the French Charter of Rights depicting their demands. The statue represents U.S and Switzerland as a desired end result of the uprisings. -
The Forges by Adolph Menzel
This painting illustrates the great industrial innovations of the 19th century in Europe which lead to major social and economic reforms. -
Berlin Conference
The Conference of Berlin held by German chancellor Bismarck resolved disputes over African territory among the leading world powers. The distribution of territory was motivated by a new form of imperialism driven by a quest for national resources and wealth to finance and sustain the Second Industrial Revolution. -
The 1889 Universal Exposition of Paris
The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a World's Fair held in Paris from 6 May to 31 October 1889. The main symbol of the Fair was the Eiffel Tower, which served as the entrance arch to the Fair. -
Trench by Otto Dix
Before Dix associated himself with the Dada movement, this German expressionist painting depicts what life was like for soldiers in the trenches during WW1. As part of Expressionism, this painting was created to insight emotion in the viewer, and suggests that people were taken aback once they realized what the war and it's brutalities really entailed. -
Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife Through the Last Weimar by Hannah Höch
As part of the Dada movement, which arose as a reaction to WW1, this German painting illustrates the nonesene that Dadaists used in their paintings, which was supposed to paralell the nonsense of the war. Hoch also cuts up aspects of society and puts them back together to illustrate humankind's lack of humanity in war. It shows how people were very critical of WW1 during the Inter-War period. -
The Philosophical Basis of Facism by Giovanni Gentile
Gentile uses the formation of Italy as an example of the unification brought on under fascism. He states that the rise of a national identity and uniform belief is a driving force behind the unification of the once fragmented Italy. His writing is a depiction of the ideals that forged conflict heading into the second World War. -
Construction of a Power Station on the Dnieper River in USSR
Photo of the construction of a power station on the Dnieper River, one of the greatest achievements of the first five-year plan. When it was completed in 1932, it was the largest plant in the world. It is a major symbol of the industrial acheivements of the USSR. -
Propaganda Poster for Hitler "Four Year Plan"
The Four-year plan was a series of economic reforms created by the Nazi Party. The main aim of the Four-year plan was to prepare Germany for self-sufficiency in four years (1936–1940). The Four-year plan sought to reduce unemployment; undertake public works projects; increase automobile production; initiate numerous building and architectural projects; building up the nation's military defenses... -
Guernica by Pablo Picasso
As part of the Modernist movement, this painting is a direct reaction to the bombing of the village Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. This painting is anti-Fascist and anti-war, as it shows that war inflicts the most suffering upon innocent civilians. Moreover, it shows how artists at the time used their art to reflct their reactions to what was going on around them. -
United Nations Adopt World Charter published by the Herald Tribune
The United Nations was created at an international conference held in San Francisco in 1945. The UN replaced the League of Nations and encompassed its fundamental principles of international security and self-determination. The Charter establishes an international court of justice that was used to try criminals of war after World War II.
