Portrait of a child from french nobility, wearing a medallion, in a red suit, presumed to be Louis-Joseph Xavier François de France (1781-1789), first son of Marie-Antoinette and King of France Louis XVI

Important and rare portrait signed by Joseph Boze, a famous Louis XVI’s pastellist.

In 2011, at Sotheby’s auction house, a portrait of Comtess of Artois was sold to National Museum of Versailles.

This portrait, dated from 1787, period where the artist has produced several portraits of french royal family, would represent the first son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette,  the Dauphin Louis-Joseph Xavier François de France.

He looks like to her mother, Marie-Antoinette, and to the rare iconography known of himself (for example the famous painting La tendresse by Vigée Lebrun) and etablished about this first royal son, a fragile child who will died in 1789.

In this both flattering and resemblant portrait, the child does not seem to be ill but well perfectly healthy. A victory thanks to art upon illness.

This inmost and gorgerous portrait has been painted with pastel (a technical knowing its climax at the 18th century). The artist, Joseph Boze, proceeding to so delicate touch.

This mysterious medallion worn guessing to be a the Dupleissis’s painting of Louis XVI in sacre suit.

And mainly the beauty and sensitivity of the lightly protruding eyes, evoking Marie-Antoinette, in a blue chinese porcelain color. 

Prestigious provenance : comes from a parisian mansion classified historic monument.

A historic and fantastic pastel signed by a great master, Royal family portraitist. 

Main bibliography : by Neil Jeffares, « Dictionary of pastellists before 1800 » and  « Joseph Boze (1745 – 1826), portraitiste de l’Ancien régime à la Restauration, Martigues, Musée Ziem, 2004, cat. Gérard Fabre.