Dimensions height 81 cm, width 64.5 cm
Joseph Duplessis painted this portrait of Louis XVI, King of France using oil on canvas. The oval composition immediately draws the eye to the King's composed expression, framed by his powdered wig. Light catches his face, highlighting the soft pink in his cheeks. The color palette is restrained, dominated by muted blues, creams, and golds, which contributes to the overall sense of royal decorum. Duplessis masterfully uses visual elements of line, color, and form to convey the King’s authority and status. Note the intricate details in the King's garments; the lace, the embroidery, and the royal insignia, each rendered with meticulous care. Consider how these details would have functioned as signs and symbols within the cultural codes of the time, communicating power and prestige to its intended audience. The portrait stands as a cultural artifact, revealing much about the aesthetics, values, and representational strategies of the late 18th century.
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Duplessis painted the first version of this portrait in 1777. Although the king wears his principal chivalric orders, he is portrayed in relatively simple attire and assumes an informal pose. This portrait found great favour, and Duplessis was repeatedly commissioned to copy it. This likeness was thus widely disseminated and hung in government buildings and palaces, among other places.
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