Portrait of Charles X in Coronation Robes 1829

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres painted this portrait of Charles X in his coronation robes in the 19th century. It presents the King as an emblem of power and legitimacy during a period of political upheaval in France. Ingres meticulously details Charles X’s opulent garments and regal bearing. The artist invokes a sense of continuity with France’s monarchical past. However, this image is at odds with the shifting tides of post-revolutionary France, where calls for democratic reform challenged the very foundations of inherited power. Charles X was ultimately exiled in the July Revolution of 1830. Ingres’ portrait serves as a poignant reminder of the tensions between tradition and change, authority and autonomy, and the narratives we construct around power. The portrait invites us to reflect on the role of art in shaping perceptions of leadership, identity, and cultural memory.