Artwork
Portrait of Louis XVI de Bourbon (1754-1793)
Portrait of Louis XVI de Bourbon (1754-1793) is an ivory painting. It dates from 1794 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work is a portrait executed on a circular slab of ivory, framed by a thin gold rim.
About this work
Technique & Style
The handling of the ivory surface allows for the detailed rendering characteristic of the portrait genre within this specific scale.
Created in 1787, this work is a miniature portrait executed on an ivory support. The artist, Joseph Boze, utilized the ivory medium to create a small-scale painting measuring 7.4 cm in both height and width. Classified formally as a miniature, the piece depicts Louis XVI of France.
The handling of the ivory surface allows for the detailed rendering characteristic of the portrait genre within this specific scale.
History & Provenance
Created in 1787, this ivory miniature portrait depicts Louis XVI of France. The work is attributed to the artist Joseph Boze. Measuring 7.4 cm in both height and width, the piece is classified as a painting within the genre of portraiture.
It currently forms part of the collection at the Rijksmuseum, also known as the Nederlandsch Museum voor Geschiedenis en Kunst, where it is held in Amsterdam. No specific details regarding the original commission or the intermediate ownership chain prior to its museum acquisition are provided in the available records.
The miniature is held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it carries the inventory number SK-A-1148. It is catalogued as a portrait of Louis XVI painted in 1787 by Joseph Boze on ivory, measuring 7.4 cm in height and width.
The work was included in the 2016 exhibition Highlights from the Rijksmuseum held at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it was displayed as part of the museum’s permanent collection rotation.
Overview
The work is a portrait executed on a circular slab of ivory, framed by a thin gold rim. Set against a dark backdrop, the sitter is presented in a formal pose, his gaze turned slightly left. The composition balances a restrained facial expression with a dignified bearing, typical of eighteenth‑century aristocratic portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The figure depicted is Louis XVI de Bourbon (1754‑1793), a member of the French noble house of Bourbon. His attire, a blue jacket marked by a silver star on the left, complemented by a red‑and‑white cravat, signals his rank and family affiliations. The neutral expression and direct yet modest gaze convey a sense of measured authority appropriate for official representation.
Artist & collection
