Artwork
Anne d'Autriche endeuillée présentant le portrait en miniature de Louis XIII
Anne d'Autriche endeuillée présentant le portrait en miniature de Louis XIII is an oil painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Henri and Charles Beaubrun. It dates from 1644 and is held in the collection of the Palace of Versailles.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1644, this oil painting portrays Anne of Austria, the queen consort of France, in a moment of mourning. She is shown wearing a somber black gown with a white ruff, pearl jewelry and a veil, holding a miniature portrait of a man, presumably her son Louis XIII, close to her chest. The dark background intensifies the intimate, reflective mood of the work.
Subject & Meaning
The queen’s attire and the inclusion of the tiny portrait convey both personal grief and dynastic continuity. By presenting the miniature of Louis XIII, the painting underscores her role as mother and regent, while the black dress and veil signal mourning, likely for the recent death of a close family member, reinforcing themes of loss and royal responsibility.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the Beaubrun brothers employ a restrained palette dominated by deep blacks and muted whites, allowing the luminous pearls and the miniature’s delicate details to stand out. Their handling of light creates a subtle chiaroscuro that models the queen’s features against the shadowy backdrop, characteristic of mid‑17th‑century French court portraiture.
History & Provenance
The portrait was painted jointly by Henri and Charles Beaubrun, court painters active during the reign of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. After remaining in the royal collection, it entered the holdings of the Palace of Versailles, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s representation of the French monarchy’s visual legacy.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Henri Beaubrun (1603-1677) and Charles Beaubrun (1604-1692) were French portrait painters and cousins who worked in such close collaboration that their individual hands are often difficult to distinguish.
Anna von Österreich (1601-1666) (Umkreis)
Portrait of a woman, thought to be Lucretia Boudaen
Portrait of Marguerite-Louise-Suzanne de Bethune Sully, Duchess of Lude
Portrait of princess Anna de Medici
Henriette-Anne of England, Duchess of Orleans, known as Madame (1644-1670)
Untitled
Portrait of Anna Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode(1651–1690), princess of Anhalt-Koethen
Maria Elisabeth von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf (?)
Anna Gonzaga, Countess Palatine of Simmern