Artwork
Portrait of King Frederik IV as Prince
Portrait of King Frederik IV as Prince is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Rigaud Hyacinthe. It dates from 1693 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Frederik IV of Denmark in his earlier status as a prince, painted in 1693 by Hyacinthe Rigaud.
The portrait depicts Frederik IV of Denmark in his earlier status as a prince, painted in 1693 by Hyacinthe Rigaud. As a state portrait by one of the leading Baroque portraitists of the French court, the work served the conventional function of projecting royal authority and dynastic legitimacy. Rigaud's signature approach, sumptuous fabrics, commanding pose, and richly textured surface, was typically deployed to elevate royal sitters into idealized embodiments of sovereignty, and the painting of the young Danish prince fits within that established iconographic tradition of Baroque princely portraiture.
The work is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, the national gallery that houses many of the country's most significant royal images, underscoring its role as a record of the Danish monarchy.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, a format typical of Baroque portraiture. Rigaud applied oil paint with fine brushwork to render the sitter’s attire and the subtle play of light across the surface, creating a polished, almost sculptural presence. The composition emphasizes regal authority through the sitter’s upright posture, rich drapery, and the detailed rendering of textures such as velvet and fur.
These formal choices reflect the stylistic conventions of early 18th‑century European portraiture, where realism and decorative detail combine to convey status.
History & Provenance
Hyacinthe Rigaud executed the oil-on-canvas portrait of Frederik IV, depicting the subject during his time as Prince. The work was completed in February 1693. Measuring 138.5 cm in height and 105.5 cm in width, the painting is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display. The piece is classified as a Baroque portrait.
The painting is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen.
It is recorded there with the inventory number KMSsp 29.
The work was included in the exhibition "Danske portrætter fra renæssancen til nutiden" held at the Statens Museum for Kunst in 1999.
Overview
Hyacinthe Rigaud’s 1693 oil portrait presents the future Danish monarch, Frederik IV, rendered in the refined language of French Classical Baroque. Executed for a royal audience, the painting now resides in the Statens Museum for Kunst, offering a glimpse of the young prince’s aristocratic bearing through the artist’s polished technique.
Artist & collection
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…
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