Figure 1.--This painting shows Marie Antoinette with two of her children which I believe are her two oldest children, Marie Therese and Louis-Joseph. The portrait looks to have been painted about 1785 before the Revolution. He would have been about 4 years old. Note that he has already been breeched and wears a long pants sleleton suit. Also note his short hair. The artist was Elisabeth Vigee le Brun. . |
Louis-Joseph was the first son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. He was born in 1781, but we have little information on his childhood. A French student has kindly provided some information on his clothing. He was reportedly outfitted in boyish styled clothes which was an inovation for French royal children. His father was traumatized by his mother who reportedly had her clothes reproduced for him to wear. Louis was, as a result, determined to dress his sons in more boyish fashions at an early age. Available images show him wearing skeleton suits at an early age. The skeleton suits notably have long pants. Many early sleleton suits in Britain had knee breeches. There are litterally hundreds of images available of Louis-Joseph's younger brother. Many are fanciful made without ever seeing the boy.These images were made because Louis-Charles became almost an icon for the royalist forces fighting the Revolution. There are far fewer images of Louis-Joseph. The images that do exist were generally made before the revolution and involved actual settings. Most images, however, show Louis-Charles with long hair. Note that a very young Louis-Joseph here has short hair (figure 1). We can not at this time expalin this descrepany. Louis-Joseph died in June 1789 at the age of 8 years, just at the outbreak of the Revolution. Louis-Joseph died of tuberculosis.
Louis-Joseph was the first son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. It is said that the King's brother, Count of Provence was less than happy with the royal birth as he lost any hope of becoming king himself. In fact he was after the Revolution to become Louis XVIII.
He was born in 1781. He was named Louis-Joseph Xavier François in honor of the Duke of Burgandy. We have little information on his childhood. He was described as intelligent and melancholy.
The Dauphin and his sister Marie-Therse are reportedly very close to their parents. This was not always the case for royal children.
A French student has kindly provided some information on his clothing. He was reportedly outfitted in boyish styled clothes which was an inovation for French royal children. His father was traumatized by his mother who reportedly had her clothes reproduced for him to wear. Louis was, as a result, determined to dress his sons in more boyish fashions at an early age. Available images show him wearing skeleton suits at an early age. The skeleton suits notably have long pants. Many early sleleton suits in Britain had knee breeches. There are litterally hundreds of images available of Louis-Joseph's younger brother. Many are fanciful made without ever seeing the boy. These images were made because Louis-Charles became almost an icon for the royalist forces fighting the Revolution. There are far fewer images of Louis-Joseph. The images that do exist were generally made before the revolution and involved actual settings.
Most images, however, show Louis-Charles with long hair. Note that a very young Louis-Joseph here has short hair (figure 1). We can not at this time explain this descrepany. Most available images of Louis-Joseph, however, as a younger boy show short hair. These were portraits for which the young prince actually sat. We believe that they are often very accurate. There are some images of Louis-Joseph with longer hair as an older boy. These appear, however, to be idealized portraits as he was very sick by 1786. Thus they may be idealized portraits rather than the more accurate portaits made earlier as a younger boy. These portraits show Louis-Charles with hair rather like that generally depicted for Louis-Charles.
The Dauphin Louis-Joseph had several nurses. The most famous is Mrs. Poitrine who may have transmitted tuberculosis to him. The education of a future leader, of course, is of great importance in any monarchy. Both Louis XVI himself and Marie-Antoinette supervised their son's education. His father ordered a globe of the world from the famed geographer Nantelle. The globe was transformable and displayed the land and sibmerged gepgraphical features. There were also a series of paintings on bison leather. [HBC is not sure about the paintings on bison leather, perhaps they fitted over the globe.] There is less information available on Louis-Charles' education, primarily because the Revolution broke out in 1789 before it could begin.
Louis Joseph died from tuberculosis in 1789 after several years of suffering. Serious medical problems began to be reported in April 1784 when the Dauphin experienced strong fevers. The dolphin is brought to [?Muette] and the crises passes. [HBC is not sure just who "Muette" is.] Muette had him innoculated in March 1975. Minor illnesses followed but were not severe, even so his health slowly deteriorated. Inoocualtion was an early form of vaccines which helped people resist diseases. Doctors nore in April 1786 that the Dauphin's backbone began to cirve. There were reports of high fevers. The first symptoms of tuberculosis appeared in October 1786. Doctors in 1786-87 attempt to corrct the curviture of the boy's backbone with an iron corset. The Dauphin in January 1788 is consumed with a constant fever. The disease progresses quickly. Dr. Petit diagnoses a "vertebral decay". Gangrene develops in his spine. Louis-Joseph died on June 4, 1789 at the age of 8 years, just at the outbreak of the Revolution.
Madame Elisabeth Vigee le Brun was notable for the images she painted of the French royal family, especially Marie Antoinette and her children. Elizabeth's father was a respected portratist, but she hardly knew him as she was not raised in their home. He died when she still a child. There were great difficulties facing a woman who wanted to be an artist in the 18th century, but Elizabeth prevailed. Her career was assured when she was chosen to paint a portait of Queen Marie Antonette. Other commissions from the royal family followed. The best portraits of the royal children were done by le Brun. Madame Vigee LeBrun had a spectacular career, pinting in capitals throughout Europe and being elected to the Academies in modst of them, an amazing honor for a woman in the 18th century. After the Revolution she went into exile, living in Italy and Austria and finally Russia where she was protected by the Emperess Catherine II. She wrote a fascinating memoir which is available on line.
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