Compare and contrast depictions of power in two, very different cultures using Rigaud’s portrait of Louis XIV as an example of the French monarchy and Rembrandt’s Night Watch as an example of the Dutch republic, dominated by wealthy merchants. Less ornate forms of Baroque art reflect the political systems of the 17th Century. Though portraits lack the extreme action of other forms of Baroque painting, they turn viewers into participants in dramatic reenactments of the power and prestige of their subjects.