Artwork
Portrait of Lodewijk XIV de Bourbon (1638-1715)
Portrait of Lodewijk XIV de Bourbon (1638-1715) is a copper painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Jean Petitot. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Louis XIV of France, a prominent monarch of the Bourbon dynasty. It was created by Jean Petitot in 1670 using copper as the support, with the medium recorded as casein paint. The work is classified as a portrait and is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection in Amsterdam.
Technique & Style
The stylistic approach aligns with the Dutch school’s emphasis on fine detail and naturalistic modeling, executed in casein tempera on a metal support.
The work is an oil painting on copper, a support noted in the source. It measures 2.2 cm in height by 2 cm in width, reflecting the small-scale format typical of 17th-century portraiture. The surface bears a patina consistent with its age, though no formal condition assessment is provided.
The composition presents a formal, courtly rendering of Louis XIV, rendered in delicate brushwork that emphasizes regal authority. The stylistic approach aligns with the Dutch school’s emphasis on fine detail and naturalistic modeling, executed in casein tempera on a metal support.
History & Provenance
The work was created in 1670 as a portrait of Louis XIV of France by Jean Petitot. It was painted on copper and belongs to the portrait genre. The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum collection and has remained in that institution since its acquisition.
The portrait is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, as recorded in the work's Wikidata entry, which lists the Rijksmuseum as both the collection and the location of the painting.
No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Legacy
The portrait of Louis XIV by Jean Petitot contributed to the iconography of French royal portraiture, influencing later depictions of monarchs through its formal composition and regal symbolism. Its presence in the Rijksmuseum collection has ensured continued scholarly attention to Petitot’s role in 17th-century European art, reinforcing his reputation as a master of engraved and painted portraiture.
Overview
Created in 1670, this compact, circular portrait presents Louis XIV of France rendered by the Genevan enamelist Jean Petitot. Executed on a copper plate, the work measures only a few inches across, yet it captures the monarch’s visage with a restrained, dignified air. The painting resides in the Rijksmuseum’s collection, where it is displayed among other European court portraits.
Context
The portrait was produced during the height of Louis XIV’s reign, a time when the French monarchy commissioned numerous likenesses to reinforce royal image across Europe. Petitlet’s choice of copper aligns with a niche of small-scale, highly finished portraits favored by aristocratic patrons for personal or diplomatic use, distinguishing it from larger, public works.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Petitot (July 12, 1607 – April 3, 1691) was an enamel painter from the Republic of Geneva, who spent most of his career working for the courts of France and England.
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