By comparing the eleven sumptuary laws enacted between the reigns of François I and Henri IV, the author intends to demonstrate that their iterative character, which at first glance seems a sign of their ineffectiveness, is in fact the expression of a disequilibrium between the claims ofthe nobility and the monarchical absolutist ideal. The evolution of the sumptuary discourse signals the formation of a new manner of self-representation, as well as the arising power struggle between the king and his subjects.

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

• Bastien, P., (2025), "«Aux tresors dissipez l'on cognoist le malfaict»: Hiérarchie sociale et transgression des ordonnances somptuaires en France, 1543-1606", HSSCommons: (DOI: )

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1. Renaissance and Reformation

Original publication: Bastien, Pascal. "«Aux tresors dissipez l'on cognoist le malfaict»: Hiérarchie sociale et transgression des ordonnances somptuaires en France, 1543-1606." Renaissance and Reformation 35 (4): 2010. 23-43. DOI: 10.33137/rr.v35i4.10698. This material has been re-published in an unmodified form on the Canadian HSS Commons with the permission of Iter Canada / Renaissance and Reformation. Copyright © the author(s). Their work is distributed by Renaissance and Reformation under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For details, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/.