Entry of Charles X into Paris at the Gate of la Villette, after his Coronation

Executed in oil, the canvas combines meticulous detail with a broad, atmospheric background. Lejeune employs a palette of muted earth tones for the architecture and crowd, contrasted with the bright blues and golds of the ceremonial drapery and coach. The composition balances a crowded foreground with a receding cityscape, creating depth and a sense of movement.

Completed in 1825, the work was likely displayed shortly after the king’s arrival to commemorate the occasion. Over time it entered the royal collection and was eventually transferred to the Musée national du Château de Versailles, where it remains accessible to the public as part of the museum’s historical series.

Charles X’s accession marked the last Bourbon restoration before the July Revolution of 1830. Lejeune, himself a military officer and painter of battle scenes, captured the event within the broader tradition of French history painting that sought to document and legitimize state ceremonies through grand, narrative imagery.