Louis XVI (1754–1793), King of France

Antoine François Callet was the official portrait painter of Louis XVI, responsible for the state portrait that hung in every French government building. This 1787 miniature on ivory of the king was painted just two years before the Revolution that would destroy the monarchy. Callet's portraits of Louis XVI became the standard image of the doomed king, widely reproduced in prints and miniatures throughout the realm.

The ivory miniature reproduces the formal state portrait format in miniature scale, with precise rendering of royal regalia, ermine, and the Order of the Holy Spirit. The luminous ivory ground enhances the regal coloring.