Portrait of Leopold I of Belgium
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| Portrait of Leopold I of Belgium | |
|---|---|
_by_Winterhalter.jpg) | |
| Artist | Franz Xaver Winterhalter |
| Year | 1840 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait painting |
| Dimensions | 278 cm × 181 cm (109 in × 71 in) |
| Location | Palace of Versailles, Versailles |
Portrait of Leopold I of Belgium is an 1840 portrait painting by the German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter depicting Leopold I of Belgium.[1][2]
A German-born prince, Leopold had become the first King of the Belgians following the Belgian Revolution of 1830 that overthrew Dutch rule. He married a French princess Louise of Orléans in 1832. He was also the widower of Princess Charlotte of Wales, who had died in 1817, as well as the uncle of Queen Victoria.[3]
The painting was commissioned by Leopold's father-in-law Louis Philippe I for the Musée de l'Histoire de France at the recently refurbished Palace of Versailles.[4] In 1846 Leopold commissioned another portrait from Winterhalter as a gift for Queen Victoria, which remains in the British Royal Collection.[5]
