Artwork
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Rigaud Hyacinthe. It dates from 1717 and is held in the collection of the Department of Paintings of the Louvre.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The depiction of embroidery, lace, and an elaborate hairstyle further emphasizes courtly refinement and the sitter's standing within the French royal milieu.
The portrait depicts Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Duchess of Orléans, known as "La Palatine" (1652–1722), painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1717. As a formal state portrait, it presents her as a seated woman of high rank, surrounded by attributes of princely status and refined courtly taste.
The work's iconography combines symbols of sovereignty with markers of feminine elegance and luxury. A crown signals her royal Palatine lineage and her elevated position within the House of Orléans. Garments of gold and ermine evoke the prestige and ceremonial dignity traditionally associated with European nobility.
The depiction of embroidery, lace, and an elaborate hairstyle further emphasizes courtly refinement and the sitter's standing within the French royal milieu.
Together, these elements frame the portrait as both a likeness and a statement of dynastic identity, presenting the sitter as a dignified, richly attired princess whose bearing and regalia reflect her rank and heritage.
Technique & Style
Created in 1717, this portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud is executed in oil on canvas, in the Baroque manner. The work measures 132 cm in height and 109 cm in width. Visually, the painting depicts Elizabeth Charlotte seated, with detailed renderings of her attire, which includes embroidery, lace, fur, and gold elements, alongside a crown.
The composition captures the subject in a formal pose, emphasizing the textures of her dress and the ermine, consistent with the high-status portraiture of the period.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was executed in 1717 by the French Baroque painter Hyacinthe Rigaud. It is an oil on canvas measuring 132 cm by 109 cm. The work belongs to the French State and is displayed at the Palace of Versailles, at the Musée national des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon. Its inventory identifiers, as recorded in the French cultural database, are MV 2084, INV 7521, and LP 637.
The painting is associated with the collections of the Department of Paintings of the Louvre and the Museum of the History of France, reflecting its status as a key piece of Baroque portraiture within the national heritage.
Context
The work, painted in 1717 by Hyacinthe Rigaud, is an oil on canvas portrait measuring 132 cm by 109 cm, classified as a Baroque portrait. It depicts Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Duchess of Orléans, known as La Palatine.
The painting belongs to the French State and is displayed at the Palace of Versailles, while administratively attached to the Department of Paintings of the Louvre. Scholarship treats it as an example of Rigaud's late output and of the court portraiture that combined realistic likeness with allegorical grandeur.
Overview
Hyacinthe Rigaud, a prominent Catalan-French Baroque painter, completed this oil portrait of Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine, in 1717. The work depicts the Duchess of Orléans, a significant figure in French nobility, in a formal pose. Now housed in the collection of the Palace of Versailles, the painting offers insight into aristocratic representation of the early 18th century.
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Artist
Jacint Rigau-Ros i Serra (Catalan pronunciation:; 18 July 1659 – 29 December 1743), known in French as Hyacinthe Rigaud (pronounced ), was a Catalan-French baroque painter most famous for his portraits of Louis XIV and other members of the…
Museum
Department of Paintings of the Louvre
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