Portrait of Louis XVI (Callet)

Portrait of Louis XVI
Version in the Palace of Versailles
ArtistAntoine-François Callet
Year1779
TypeOil on canvas, portrait painting
Dimensions278 cm × 196 cm (109 in × 77 in)
LocationPalace of Versailles, Versailles

Portrait of Louis XVI is a 1779 portrait painting by the French artist Antoine-François Callet. It depicts Louis XVI, who reigned in France from 1774 to his execution by guillotine in 1793 during the French Revolution. The painting depicts Louis at full-length in his ermine-lined robes of state, with the crown jewels beside him. The Fleur-de-lis, symbol of the French Monarchy, features prominently. Stylistically it draws on the 1701 Portrait of Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud, setting a template by which Napoleon would later be depicted.[1]

The work was commissioned in 1778 and completed the following year. The best-known version of the painting was exhibited at the Salon of 1789 held at the Louvre in Paris. This version is now in the collection of the Museum of French History at the Palace of Versailles.[2] Versailles also holds a smaller, contemporary replica commissioned by the Foreign Minister the Comte de Vergennes[3] Identifying which was the original painting is difficult, and it has been suggested it may be a now cut-down copy in the Musée d'Art Roger-Quilliot in Clermont-Ferrand.[4] It was widely replicated by Callet with other notable versions in the Prado in Madrid[5] and Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire.[6]

See also

References

Bibliography

  • Porterfield, Todd & Siegfried, Susan L. Staging Empire: Napoleon, Ingres, and David. Pennsylvania State University, 2006.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.