Marie-Antoinette seated, in blue coat and white dress, holding a book in her hand

The work was created in 1788 by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun as an official portrait of Marie Antoinette, painted shortly after the death of her daughter Sophie in 1787. It entered the French royal collection under Louis XVIII, who acquired it in 1818, and has remained in the ownership of the French state, currently housed in the Musée des Châteaux de Versailles. The painting is catalogued in the Joconde database (inventory numbers MV 2097, INV 3060, L 3591) and is displayed in the queen’s petit appartement at Versailles.

The portrait is held at the Palace of Versailles in France, specifically within the national museum of the châteaux of Versailles and Trianon. It is located in the Queen's small apartment. The work bears multiple inventory numbers, including MV 2097, INV 3060, and L 3591, as recorded in the Joconde database of French museum collections.

The painting was acquired by King Louis XVIII in 1818 during his reign and subsequently entered the royal holdings at Versailles. While the painting is a permanent fixture in the palace, the provided sources do not list specific dates or titles for past temporary exhibitions, noting only its continuous presence in the collection.

Painted in 1788, this portrait is identified as the last official state portrait of Marie Antoinette by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, executed on the eve of the French Revolution. It followed her celebrated 1787 composition depicting the queen with her children, and the two works are noted for their strikingly similar pose and expression.

The painting was highly praised for its remarkable likeness to the queen. It was conceived as an exercise in image rehabilitation: Marie Antoinette is shown in deliberately simplified mourning dress, a sober style she adopted after the Diamond Necklace Affair had severely damaged her reputation. The composition pairs this plain attire with overt symbols of monarchy, including the crown, in order to project both royal dignity and closeness to the people.

Acquired by Louis XVIII in 1818, the canvas entered the Versailles collections and remains displayed in the Petit appartement de la reine at the Palace of Versailles.

The portrait has been recognized as the last official state portrait of Marie Antoinette and continues to shape her artistic legacy. Contemporary accounts praised its striking resemblance to the queen, noting the dignified yet intimate composition that emphasizes her connection to the French people through modest attire and domestic symbols such as the book, crown, and floral motifs. The work remains part of the collection at the Palace of Versailles, where it is displayed in the queen’s private apartments, ensuring ongoing public engagement with her historical image.

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun’s 1794 oil portrait shows Marie Antoinette seated on an upholstered chair, dressed in a blue outer coat over a white gown, with a small book poised in her hands. The composition includes a richly upholstered backdrop, a red cushion, and a table adorned with flowers, all set within an interior of dark green walls and gilded accents.