François-Joseph Kinson (1770-1839)

She is depicted standing on a Franciscus Kinsoen, known as François Kinson, was an artist whose career was marked by rapid rise. A promising portrait painter, he made a name for himself in the Parisian art scene, thanks in particular to his contact with Madame Campan, an influential figure at Napoleon's court.

His appointment as court painter to Jérôme Bonaparte in Westphalia in 1809 was a major turning point in his career, opening doors for him to the Bonaparte family. This position brought him not only recognition, but also a network that introduced him to the highest echelons of European nobility. After Napoleon's fall, he was able to reinvent himself and find favour with the Bourbons, adding prestigious figures such as the Duke of Angoulême and the Duchess of Berry to his list of admirers.

His refined and brilliant portrait style brought him great success among the European nobility and aristocracy, and he was particularly appreciated for his ability to capture the grace and beauty of his subjects.

This portrait of Louise, surrounded by a cloud, is a study of the portrait of the Duchess of Berry as a widow painted by Kinson in 1820, a version of which is kept at the Palace of Versailles museum.

Little Louise is depicted standing on a sofa alongside her mother, Marie-Caroline of Naples, dressed in black and reaching out towards a bust bearing the likeness of her late father, Charles-Ferdinand d'Artois, Duke of Berry. The granddaughter of Charles-Philippe of France, the future Charles X, Louise's childhood was marked very early on by the assassination of her father. She was only five months old when her father was murdered by an ardent Bonapartist, Louvel, who wanted to see the House of Bourbon extinguished, on 13 February 1820. The tragic events that punctuated her life, ranging from revolutions to exile and exile to revolutions, made this princess, the future Duchess of Parma, a calm and serious woman. This character contrasted with that of her husband, Ferdinand-Charles of Parma, the future Duke Charles III of Parma, who was also assassinated. Our study shows an adorable baby whose veiled gaze betrays the pain of losing a father she never had the joy of knowing. We are aware of an engraving, also preserved at the Palace of Versailles Museum, which reproduces our composition.sofa next to her mother dressed in black, and stretching her arms towards a bust bearing the likeness of her late father.

We know of an engraving also kept at the Château de Versailles Museum showing our composition