Louis XVI in Coronation Robes
Historical Context
Duplessis painted Louis XVI in coronation robes in 1777, creating the official state portrait of the king. This image, copied numerous times for government buildings and embassies, presented Louis XVI with the traditional majesty of Bourbon kingship. The twenty-three-year-old king had been crowned at Reims in 1775, and the portrait established his official image during the early, optimistic years of his reign.
Technical Analysis
Duplessis renders the coronation robes with meticulous attention to the ermine, velvet, and jeweled regalia. The formal composition follows centuries of French royal portrait convention, with the king presented in full ceremonial splendor against an architectural backdrop.
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