Artwork
Portrait of Marie-Antoinette of Austria
Portrait of Marie-Antoinette of Austria is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty. It dates from 1775 and is held in the collection of the Palace of Versailles. Created in 1775, this oil painting presents a full-length portrait of Marie Antoinette, the Austrian-born queen consort of Louis XVI.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of these objects alongside the regalia serves to construct an image of the queen as both a cultivated ruler and a legitimate sovereign of France.
The work depicts Marie Antoinette, the Austrian-born wife of Louis XVI, presented as a full-length figure. Created in 1775, the portrait was intended as a diplomatic gift for her mother, Maria Theresa of Austria. The queen is shown wearing an ermine-lined cloak adorned with the fleur-de-lis, the heraldic symbol of the Kingdom of France, which visually asserts her status as the French monarch.
Surrounding iconography includes a musical instrument, a book, a sphere, and a sculpture, elements often used to signify royal virtue, learning, and the arts. The inclusion of these objects alongside the regalia serves to construct an image of the queen as both a cultivated ruler and a legitimate sovereign of France.
Technique & Style
Created in 1775, the Portrait of Marie-Antoinette of Austria is an oil painting executed on canvas by Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty. The work measures 160 cm in height and 128 cm in width, presenting the queen in a full-length format. Stylistically, the composition emphasizes royal authority through specific iconography; the sitter wears an ermine-lined cloak adorned with the fleur-de-lis, the heraldic symbol of the Kingdom of France.
The painting incorporates symbolic elements surrounding the figure, including a musical instrument, a book, a sphere, and a sculpture, alongside floral motifs. These formal choices align with the portrait's intended function as a diplomatic gift to Marie Antoinette's mother, Maria Theresa of Austria, projecting an image of regal dignity and cultural refinement.
History & Provenance
The portrait was created in 1775 by Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty as a full-length depiction of Marie Antoinette, the Austrian-born wife of Louis XVI, intended as a gift for her mother, Maria Theresa of Austria. Executed in oil on canvas, it measures 160 cm in height by 128 cm in width. The painting is held at the Palace of Versailles by the musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, under the inventory number MV 8061. It was acquired by the museum in 1954.
Overview
Created in 1775, this oil painting presents a full-length portrait of Marie Antoinette, the Austrian-born queen consort of Louis XVI. Executed by French painter Jean‑Baptiste André Gautier‑Dagoty, the work captures the young queen in regal attire, emphasizing her status within the French monarchy.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty
Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty, or simply Gautier d'Agoty (15 September 1740, in Paris – 1786, in Paris) was a French painter who specialized in portraits.
Marie-Thérèse-Raphaëlle, Infanta of Spain, Dauphine of France
Marie Josèphe of Saxony
Marie-Josephus of Saxe
Marie Leszczyńska, Queen of France (1703–1768)
Portrait of Grand Duchess Maria Fiodorovna
Portrait of Marie Leszczyńka.
Maria Luisa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress
Portrait of Marie Anne de Bourbon, Princess of Conti
Maria Theresa as Queen of Hungary
Maria Luisa of Parma (1751–1819), Later Queen of Spain