Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, the later Queen Marie Antoinette of France
1769 · pastel on parchment
Dimensions 64.8 × 49.5 cm
Collection: Art Whisperer
In 1769, Ducreux was sent to Vienna in order to paint a miniature of Marie Antoinette before she left the city in 1770 and married Louis XVI of France so that the Dauphin of France would know what his future bride looked like before her arrival. Ducreux was made a baron and premier peintre de la reine (First Painter to the Queen) in rewards for his services. Ducreux was given this appointment by Marie-Antoinette even though he was not a member of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, which had been founded in 1648. The academy was strictly hierarchical and the posts of first painter, ordinary painter and inspector or inspector general of royal factories were customarily reserved for members of the academy.
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About this artwork
Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, the later Queen Marie Antoinette of France (1769) by Joseph Ducreux, pastel on parchment, from the Art Whisperer collection.
About Joseph Ducreux
Joseph, Baron Ducreux (26 June 1735 – 24 July 1802) was a French noble, portrait painter, pastelist, miniaturist, and engraver, who was a successful portraitist at the court of Louis XVI of France, and resumed his career at the conclusion of the French Revolution.
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