Charles Le Brun (1619-1690)

Charles Le Brun

Louis XIV

Paris, about 1663

Black, red and white chalk

43.5 X 35.2 cm

This study of Louis XIV (1638-1715) was drawn from life when the king was aged 25 and had been suffering from scarlet fever.

 Le Brun was particularly interested in how a person’s face could reveal their personality. Here the King is depicted as youthful and intelligent. This drawing was probably used for a tapestry in a series entitled L’Histoire du Roi (History of the King), which was produced between 1662 and 1673 at the Gobelins manufactory in Paris.

Purchased 1970 (No. 70.4)

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