Artwork
Portrait of Louis XVIII
Portrait of Louis XVIII is an unspecified painting by Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin. It dates from 1822 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Jean‑Baptiste Jacques Augustin’s 1822 oil portrait presents the former French monarch Louis XVIII.
About this work
Overview
Jean‑Baptiste Jacques Augustin’s 1822 oil portrait presents the former French monarch Louis XVIII. The work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection, where it is displayed among the museum’s European paintings. The composition centers the king against a muted gray backdrop, emphasizing his dignified bearing.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown with silver‑white hair, dressed in a blue military‑style coat trimmed with gold embroidery and studded with medals, a white shirt, and a red sash across the chest. His direct gaze and neutral expression convey a formal, authoritative presence appropriate to a restored monarch asserting his legitimacy after the Napoleonic era.
Technique & Style
Augustin employs chiaroscuro, contrasting the illuminated figure with the dark background to model facial features and the richly detailed uniform. The careful rendering of textures—fabric, metal, and skin—demonstrates the artist’s skill in creating depth and a three‑dimensional effect within a relatively restrained palette.
History & Provenance
Completed in 1822, shortly after Louis XVIII’s death, the portrait entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century. Its presence in an American institution reflects the broader interest of U.S. collectors in European royal portraiture during that period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin
Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin (1759–1832) was a French artist, born in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges.
