French Royal Painted Silk Textile Portrait, Marie Thérèse of France, Eldest Daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Details

Description

The Dauphine's Devotion: Bourbon Iconography on Silk

Object: Painted Silk Textile Portrait (Needlework/Silkwork)
Subject: Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of … Read more The Dauphine's Devotion: Bourbon Iconography on Silk

Object: Painted Silk Textile Portrait (Needlework/Silkwork)
Subject: Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Angoulême (1778–1851)
Date: Early 19th Century (likely during the Bourbon Restoration, 1814–1830)
Medium: Paint on Silk, with Silk and Gilt Thread Embroidery

Dimensions: 12 3/4 inches high x 11 1/2 inches wide x 1 3/4 inches deep (32.39 cm high x 29.21 cm wide x 4.45 cm deep).

This evocative textile portrait depicts Marie Thérèse of France, known throughout her life as the Duchess of Angoulême or Madame Royale. As the only child of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette to survive the French Revolution, her image became a potent symbol of Bourbon resilience and the tragedy of the monarchy.

The portrait is executed in a delicate technique combining painting for the face and hands with fine silk embroidery for the dress and decorative elements. She is shown in the fashionable style of the early 19th century, surrounded by a motif of Fleur-de-lis and a laurel border, which clearly underscores her royal status during the Bourbon Restoration. The inscription, MADAME D'ANGOULEME, is embroidered above her.

Historical Context: Survival and Symbolism

Marie Thérèse lived through the most dramatic upheaval in French history, enduring the execution of her parents and the solitary confinement known as the "Orphan of the Temple." Her eventual release and marriage to her cousin, Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, cemented her position as a focal point for royalist hopes.

Following the death of her uncle, Louis XVIII, in 1824, her husband became the heir apparent (the Dauphin) to the throne, and Marie Thérèse was addressed as Madame la Dauphine. This textile portrait served as a powerful piece of monarchical propaganda or private devotion, circulating her image among loyal subjects who viewed her not just as a royal figure, but as a living martyr representing the lost glory of the French crown.

Potential References

Lever, Évelyne. Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France (for context on her parents and the revolution).

Fay, Bernard. Louis XVI: Or The End of a World.

Museum Collections: Similar royal commemorative silk portraits are held in collections dedicated to French historical textiles and Napoleonic/Restoration history.

(Ref: ny8448-urr) See less