Illustration
Charles XII, oil on canvas from the workshop of the French artist Hyacinthe Rigaud. Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.
Charles XII was famous throughout Europe. Everyone wanted his portrait. This has been added in the studio of the French court painter Rigaud. In shining armour and with a fluttering cloak, the king stands as if on a theatre stage - the war in the background is more like a backdrop. The short hair had become his signature, a symbol of the soldier king. In 1715, when the portrait was painted, the Swedish great power was about to collapse. Real wars, much bloodier than the theatrical war of the painting, raged on all sides. Three years later, the king was dead.
Related Images
Catherine de' Medici and Her Children
Brennus
Saint Bridget of Sweden
Viking Rune Stone (Sanda, Sweden)
Runestone from Hagby, Sweden
War Memorial, Derry, Northern Ireland
Cite This Work
APA Style
Rigaud, F. t. W. o. H. (2023, October 31). Charles XII from the Workshop of Hyacinthe Rigaud. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18092/charles-xii-from-the-workshop-of-hyacinthe-rigaud/
Chicago Style
Rigaud, From the Workshop of Hyacinthe. "Charles XII from the Workshop of Hyacinthe Rigaud." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified October 31, 2023. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18092/charles-xii-from-the-workshop-of-hyacinthe-rigaud/.
MLA Style
Rigaud, From the Workshop of Hyacinthe. "Charles XII from the Workshop of Hyacinthe Rigaud." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 31 Oct 2023. Web. 26 Apr 2024.
