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Primary sourceSculpture1781

Portrait of Queen Marie-Antoinette of France

Louis-Simon Boizot · 1781

A marble bust of Marie Antoinette made from life in 1781, considered the leading sculpted likeness of the queen.

This marble bust, made from life in 1781, is considered the leading sculpted likeness of Marie Antoinette.

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White marble bust of a woman with elaborate piled and curled hair, adorned with a ribbon and lace, wearing a draped gown with fleur-de-lis motifs and a pearl necklace. Displayed on a marble pedestal beside an information placard.
Louis-Simon Boizot, Portrait of Queen Marie-Antoinette of France, 1781. Department of Sculptures, Louvre.

About this source

What it is

This marble bust was sculpted by Louis-Simon Boizot in 1781 and is held in the Department of Sculptures of the Louvre. It shows Marie Antoinette with elaborate piled hair and a draped gown decorated with fleur-de-lis.

Why it matters

Made in the same year her son the dauphin was born, the bust is regarded as the most important sculpted portrait of the queen made during her lifetime. It shows how artists combined royal symbols, like the fleur-de-lis, with individual likeness to present an official image of monarchy.

Look closer

  • What details in the hair, jewelry, and gown suggest status and fashion of the period?
  • Why might 1781 have been a significant year to commission this portrait?
  • What can a sculpted bust show about a person that a painting cannot, and what can it not show?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Marie Antoinette on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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