Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Portrait of Louis XIV as a child (Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 1638 – Versailles, 1715)
French painter active between the 17th and 18th centuries
Oil on canvas 64 x 49 cm. In frame 79.5 x 64.5
Analysis of this portrait, and in particular the style in which the features have been depicted, takes us back to the great tradition of the French school between the 17th and 18th centuries: it depicts Louis XIV of Bourbon as a child (Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 1638 – Versailles, 1715), before his actual accession to the throne at the age of 16, and later known as the Sun King.
The “child king” Louis XIV ascended the throne at the age of 5, upon the death of his father in 1643, but the government of the kingdom remained for a long time in the hands of his mother, the regent Anne of Austria, and the powerful Cardinal Mazarin, and he was only able to actually wear the crown upon the latter's death in 1661.
There are numerous portraits of the king as a child, including those by Charles Le Brun, which depict him with his brother Felipe, and Nicolas de Largilliere, which includes him as a child in a scene with his family. It should be noted that portraits of Louis XIV, from his childhood onwards, were designed to project an image of power, authority and royalty, and that this portraiture was part of a complex propaganda system to enhance his reputation as the most powerful monarch in Europe, despite his young age.
This painting in particular refers to one of the many prints of the time (see some examples in the details) dedicated to the young ruler, from which it is possible to compare the features and attributes that portrayed him, with representative clothing and accessories such as those presented here, to celebrate the young man's accession to the throne and his proclamation as King of France.
Specifically, we see him looking proudly towards the observer, holding a sceptre in his right hand and the hilt of a silver-adorned sword visible from his left cuff, enhancing the formality and solemnity of the portrait.
He also wears a sash with the pin of the Order of the Holy Spirit, also known as the Order of the Cordon Bleu, the most prestigious order of chivalry in the French monarchy and one of the most important in Europe.
The insignia of the Order is a cross, similar to the Maltese cross, with four forked arms and a silver dove with outstretched wings and its head turned downwards.
The king's children were members from birth, but did not receive the insignia of the Order until they were 12 years old.
Delevery information :
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Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
