Louis XIII of France
Unknown Artist
1776 to 1800
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
plate: 20.9 × 13.7 cm (8 1/4 × 5 3/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1950.14.797
Art Historical Context
This elegant engraving portrays Louis XIII of France (1601–1643), the Bourbon monarch who ruled during a pivotal era of religious wars, court intrigue, and centralization of power under his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu. by an unknown artist between 1776 and 1800—over a century after the king's death—it reflects the late 18th-century fascination with historical royalty amid France's Enlightenment and revolutionary upheavals. Such prints served as affordable commemorations, allowing the middle class and collectors to own images of legendary figures. Engraving, the medium here, involves in...