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Miniature portrait of Karl XI, King of Sweden, as a child

Pierre Signacc. 1662

The Royal Armoury, Sweden

The Royal Armoury, Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden

The very young King, still a child of about 7-8 years old, is shown dressed in a cuirass, pointed lace collar and with a blue field band with a golden fringe across his breast. His curly brownish hair is hanging freely over his shoulders. The background is black, to the left a red piece of drapery with a golden fringe. Mounted behind a glass with a bevelled edge, plain mounting of gold, on top of the frame a loop covered in light blue enamel, the lover part of which turns into a zigzag band a long the oval shape. It is not signed.

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  • Title: Miniature portrait of Karl XI, King of Sweden, as a child
  • Creator: Pierre Signac
  • Creator Lifespan: c. 1623 - 1684
  • Creator Nationality: French
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Stockholm
  • Creator Birth Place: France
  • Date Created: c. 1662
  • Provenance: In earlier period located to the Palace of Ulriksdal. Donated to the Royal Wardrobe in 1822. Transferred to "Kongl. Antiquariska och Historiska museum", Statens historiska museum in March 1848. Donated to the Royal Armoury in 1932
  • Physical Dimensions: W 33 mm, H 38 mm
  • Painter: Pierre Signac
  • Artist Info: The artist Pierre Signac arrived to Stockholm in 1646, invited by Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie. Little is known of his previous life in France. He was probably a pupil of the famous enamel painter Jean Toutin. His works remind also of those of his contemporary Petitot. In 1648 he was employed as Her Majesty Queen Kristina's court miniaturist. He painted a lot of portraits of her but most of them are made after originals in oil by i.e. David Beck, Sébastien Bourdon and Abraham Wuchters. After Queen Kristina’s abdication in 1654 Signac was employed by her successor Karl X and the Queen Hedvig Eleonora. As a Queen Dowager after 1660 she commissioned a considerable amount of portraits of her relatives, of herself and her son Karl XI as a child.Pierre Signac also managed to establish himself as an art and fancy goods dealer in Stockholm. He was married to Susanne Boijere, daughter of a wealthy family.
  • Subject Keywords: Miniature, Portrait, Baroque
  • Type: Gouache on parchment
  • External Link: Livrustkammaren
The Royal Armoury, Sweden

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