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Louis XV

Gilles Demarteau the Elder

1749

chalk

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque 18th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Louis XV is a 1749 chalk by Gilles Demarteau the Elder, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Gilles Demarteau the Elder
When & what style?: 1749 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This is a close-up portrait of a man’s face and shoulder. His hair is styled in big, curled waves pulled back from his forehead. The drawing uses soft shading for his skin and bold lines for his hair, with some red highlights. The artist used a mix of red and black chalk on paper, giving it a warm, slightly rough look. This style was common in the 1700s for portraits of important people. Next, check out Baroque for more dramatic portraits like this one.