Herzog Karl Alexander von Lothringen (1712-1780), Brustbild

Executed in the Rococo idiom, the work employs a restrained palette punctuated by the bright red of the coat. Van Meyts uses chiaroscuro to model the duke’s features, with light falling on the face and shoulders while the background recedes into shadow. The fine brushwork in the embroidery and fur demonstrates the painter’s meticulous attention to surface detail.

The portrait was painted by Martin van Meyts, a Swedish‑born artist who spent most of his career at the Viennese court. After remaining in the ducal family’s possession, the painting entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s holdings of 18th‑century court portraiture.