Artwork
Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and Louis-Charles
Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and Louis-Charles is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Jacob Adam. It dates from 1793 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jacob Adam’s 1793 engraving presents the French royal family—King Louis XVI, Queen Marie‑Antoinette, and their son Louis‑Charles—arranged within an ornamental frame. Rendered in black and white on laid paper, the composition centers the trio in a circular grouping, each figure distinguished by period attire and a solemn demeanor.
Subject & Meaning
The king is shown in a richly buttoned coat, the queen with an elaborate coiffure and ruffled collar, while the young prince sits between them, his expression serious. The surrounding decorative border, filled with floral motifs and scrollwork, frames the family portrait, suggesting both status and the fragility of their position during the revolutionary era.
Technique & Style
Created through the traditional engraving process, Adam incised the image onto a metal plate, allowing for fine line work and detailed rendering of fabrics and facial features. The monochrome medium emphasizes contrast and texture, characteristic of late‑18th‑century printmaking before the advent of photographic reproduction.
Context
Produced in 1793, the year Louis XVI was executed, the engraving captures the royal family at a moment of profound crisis. Its circulation would have resonated with contemporary audiences, offering a visual record of a dynasty on the brink of dissolution amid the French Revolution.
Artist & collection
