Where can I see this portrait?

The Portrait of Louis XIV is displayed at the Louvre in Paris. It was transferred there after the French Revolution in 1793.

How big is this painting?

The portrait measures 277 x 194 cm (approximately 9 x 6.4 feet), making it a monumental state portrait.

Why was the original kept instead of sent to Spain?

The portrait was so successful at court that Louis XIV kept the original at Versailles and sent a copy to his grandson Philip V of Spain.

How old was Louis XIV in this portrait?

Louis XIV was sixty-two years old when Rigaud painted this in 1701, at the summit of his reign.

Where Is Portrait of Louis XIV? See It at Louvre, Paris

Hyacinthe Rigaud painted the Portrait of Louis XIV in 1701, creating what became the most recognizable image of the Sun King. The monumental oil on canvas measures 277 x 194 cm and shows the sixty-two-year-old monarch in coronation robes embroidered with the royal fleur-de-lis, standing in a pose of absolute authority.

The portrait was commissioned as a gift for King Philip V of Spain, Louis's grandson. But it proved so successful at court that a copy was sent to Spain instead, while the original remained at Versailles. Rigaud executed the face on a small separate canvas, later sewn onto the larger composition, allowing him to achieve the finest detail in the King's features.

Louis wears the key elements of Baroque court fashion: elaborate cravat, red heels, and an enormous wig. The goddess Justice appears on a column at left. Rigaud's purpose was not to capture personality but to glorify the monarchy. The painting hung at Versailles until 1793, when the Revolution transferred it to what became the Louvre.