Louis XVI, King of France and Navarre

Callet painted this monumental state portrait of Louis XVI in 1778, three years into the king's reign. The portrait shows the king in coronation robes with the full regalia of French kingship—crown, scepter, and the hand of justice. Multiple copies were made for distribution throughout the realm. The portrait presents an image of unshaken royal authority that would be violently overturned eleven years later.

Callet renders the coronation robes and regalia with extraordinary precision, creating a dazzling display of ermine, gold embroidery, and jewels. The monumental format and formal composition follow the established tradition of French state portraiture from Rigaud onward.