Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin
1822
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Portrait of Louis XVIII is a 1822 unspecified by Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin, a Biedermeier work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a small, finely painted portrait of a man in a military uniform, his face lined with age and his expression stern. This is King Louis XVIII of France, painted around 1822. Miniatures like this were often given as gifts to diplomats or allies. The detail is so sharp you can count the gold buttons on his jacket. Augustin was the court’s official miniaturist, meaning he painted many powerful people in this exact style. If you like this, look up more works in the subject *france, 19th century, mod euro*.
As the official miniaturist for the French court of Louis XVIII, Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin produced portraits of many elite personalities. This miniature features Louis Stanislas Xavier, King Louis XVIII, in military costume. Taking the throne after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis ruled from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief period in 1815 when Napoleon escaped from exile and regained power. This type of official portrait in miniature was useful as a diplomatic gift and was probably commissioned in large numbers. In fact, there are two versions of this miniature in the museum's…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin (1759–1832) was a French artist, born in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges.
See the richer artist page
