Focus on Marie Antoinette and Her Children and explore the Description.
The painting shows Marie Antoinette wearing a red velvet gown with sable lining. Her younger son, the future Louis XVII, is sitting on her lap and her daughter, Marie-Thérèse, is leaning on her arm. Her elder son,  Louis-Joseph, the Dauphin at the time, is near the empty cradle, intended for her younger daughter, Sophie-Béatrice, who died before the painting's completion.The painting is heavy with symbolism. Its overall composition is inspired by Renaissance depictions of the Holy Family, as advised by Jacques-Louis David, a notable contemporary painter. There are additional references more personal to Marie Antoinette, such as the Hall of Mirrors of Versailles behind her, or the dress she is wearing, which is reminiscent of one Marie Leszczyńska wore in a portrait. There is also a jewellery cabinet on the right, which evokes the story of Cornelia, an ancient Roman who famously said her children were her jewels. This last reference serves to emphasize Marie Antoinette’s image as a mother, placing her own children above material concerns like jewels, especially in the wake of the Diamond Necklace scandal.
Cornelia Dauphin Marie Antoinette Louis XVII Marie Leszczyńska Renaissance Versailles Louis-Joseph Marie-Thérèse Hall of Mirrors Jacques-Louis David Louis XVI Holy Family