> Figure 1.--This painting shows Marie Therese and her brother Louis Joseph. It wouls have been pinted about 1785-86 a few years before the Revolution. Loui-Joseph would have been about 4-5 years old. Note that he has already been breeched and wears a long pants sleleton suit. Also note his hair style and hat on the ground. The artist is Elisabeth Vigee le Brun.

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 all have open ruffled collar. The skeleton suits notably have long pants. Many early sleleton suits in Britain had knee breeches. One portrait shows a wide-brimmed hat with rounded collar. 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.

Boyish Clothes

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.

Dresses

Louis-Joseph wore dresses as a very young boy. We are not certain just when he was breached, but it appears to have been at a very young age, apparntly 2-3 years of age.

Skeleton Suits

Available images show Louis-Charles wearing skeleton suits at an early age. The skeleton suits all have open ruffled collar. Almost all images of Louis-Joseph show him wering a large open ruffled collar of various descriptions. Many do not show the pants he was wearing, but we believe that they were all long pants. The skeleton suits notably have long pants. Many early sleleton suits depicted in British portraits during the late 18th century had knee breeches. The French princes, however, seem to have only worn long pants skeleton suits.

Headwear

One portrait shows a wide-brimmed hat with rounded collar.

Portrait Accuracy

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.

Elisabeth Vigee le Brun

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.

Created: May 13, 2002
Last updated: April 16, 2003