Portrait of King Louis XVIII

Watercolor and gouache on vellum or paper

Late 18th to early 19th century

Portrait diam. 2 1/2 in., frame diam. 4 in. 

Contemporary or near-contemporary parcel-gilt wood frame

Portrait of King Louis XVIII of France (17 November 1755-16 September 1824). He is seen in this portrait with large shoulder boards and epaulettes, a blue sash, multiple medals, and a large silver badge, most likely the Order of the Holy Ghost. 

Louis XVIII began his royal life as the Count of Provence to his brother, King Louis XVI, during the Ancien Régime. At the outbreak of the French Revolution, Louis XVIII fled from France to the Austrian Netherlands in August 1791. His brother, Louis XVI, would be beheaded in 1793, and the next successor, Louis XVII, would die in prison in 1795.

For years, Louis XVIII advocated for a return to the Ancien Régime with a French monarchy. He attempted to adapt his policies once Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself emperor of France as a way to garner more followers, but to no avail. Louis XVIII and the Bourbon regime would not take control of France again until the spring of 1814, when Napoleon abdicated. Napoleon's Hundred Days, following his escape from the island of Elba, however, interrupted Louis XVIII's reign. But following Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Louis XVIII reclaimed the French throne and reigned until his death in 1824. 

[Art, Fine Art, Portrait Miniature, Paintings, 19th Century, French Revolution, France, Napoleon] 

Not examined out of frame. Some water damage to painting apparent.